


Leave It Behind

by rymyanna



Series: Behind [1]
Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe, Demonic Possession, M/M, Magic, Omega Dipper Pines, Other, Past Abuse, Past Domestic Violence, Sexual Content, Slow Romance, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-29
Updated: 2018-02-23
Packaged: 2019-01-06 20:20:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 46,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12218217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rymyanna/pseuds/rymyanna
Summary: Dipper contracts Bill to get rid of his abusive mate, and Bill agrees on the condition that he gets to pilot the body. While playing the role of a mated pair, Dipper gets more involved in Bill's schemes, and with Bill, than he bargained for.





	1. Meet Creep

**Author's Note:**

> This is probably the tropiest thing I've ever written and I'm kind of nervous about posting it. I just want to explore the a/o trope a bit and work through some stuff. All feedback is welcome, and encouraged, from mindless rants to constructive criticism. Let's get to it!

It was night. Dipper looked behind him to make sure he wasn't being followed before setting down his flashlight and the candles. He made the circle as per the instructions he had memorized. The candles lit, Dipper took a steadying breath, turning off the flashlight. He might not get another chance like this.

The spell, once started, didn't stop falling from his lips even when his vision blurred and whited out. By the time it was done, he was still standing, staring at the ground. For a moment nothing happened. The forest around him was silent, he thought he had failed, that the spell didn't work. Then, it occurred to him that the forest was never silent, especially on a warm spring night.

A flash of light forced him to close his eyes. A manic cackle echoed around him. When he opened his eyes again, there was a floating triangle staring at him.

"Hiya!" said the triangle with a wave.

"Hello," his voice broke. Clearing his throat, he gathered himself to his full, unimpressive, hight. "Are you Bill Cipher?"

"The one and only!" Bill shouted. "Lemme just tell you right off that if you want help with gaining immortality or whatever and then bother me again asking to die because all your loved ones are long gone and yada yada, I'm not a frigging genie. I don't deal in three wished, I do business transactions, ya dig?"

After the introductory rant was over, Dipper felt overwhelmed and underwhelmed at the same time. He had expected something more intimidating but was at the same time impressed that the demon was real at all, and there. "O...kay," he managed in response. "I'm not after immortality and the journal said you'd be willing to make a deal, so."

Bill turned his one eye on him, and for the first time, Dipper felt like he really looked at him. "The journal?"

"Yeah, it's um," Dipper fidgeted. "It's like this book my great uncle wrote, about supernatural stuff."

"Uh-huh," the demon turned to study his nails. Or to look at his hand; Dipper wasn't sure he had nails. "Say kid, what's your name?"

"Uh, Dipper Pines." Telling a supernatural creature his name wasn't the best idea but it was just a nickname. It'd probably be fine.

A series of images flashed on the demon's surface, too fast for Dipper to make out what they were. Bill's eye smiled, he snapped his fingers and a cane appeared. "Alright Uh Dipper Pines, what're ya after?"

Dipper took a moment to recompose himself. No turning back now. "I want you to get rid of my mate," he said, rubbing at his mark without realizing. He had just been remarked, to keep him in line. It had backfired, as evidenced by him being out without permission, summoning a demon.

"Oh-ho!" Bill whirled his cane in delight. "'Get rid of', that's nice and vague. You've never done this before, have you?"

The comment raised Dipper's hackles and he flashed his teeth in warning. "I don't care what you do to him, he's-"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm not interested in your justifications. I'm sure he deserves it and what not," Bill interjected. "Tell you what, I'm in a generous mood and in need of a vessel, so if you get him to agree to be my puppet, I'll take him off your hands!"

Dipper crossed his arms, frowning in thought. "What do I need to do, exactly?"

"You can word it however you want, I'm not picky, but he has to say yes or otherwise indicate that he agrees to being possessed for an unspecified amount of time," Bill explained.

"Why can't you just take over?"

Bill rolled his eye like the answer should be obvious. "There are some rules even I can't bend. You can't give his body to me unless you own it." He eyed the flakes of dried blood on Dipper's shirt collar and the bruise on his cheek. "And I don't think that's the case, here."

Dipper clenched his fists hard enough to leave marks and glared.

"So we have a deal?" Bill pressed, offering a flaming hand.

Without hesitation, Dipper shook on it.

* * *

 

Deep in though, Dipper made his way to the house he lived in. Now more than ever it felt like an important distinction: this house was not his home. His home was a run down shack in the woods and he could never go back if he didn't pull this off.

He stopped by a tree stump, prying off part of the top to reveal his stash of contraband birth-control. Stan had started getting it for him whenever he could after he had learned the truth of Dipper's circumstances. With the fertile point of his cycle coming up, his mate got unpredictable.

When they had first started dating, William had seemed like a reasonable, if a bit boring, alpha. He was well off, easy on the eye and, most importantly, willing to support Dipper's education. An unmated omega couldn't get into a good school, and with his coming of age coming up, Dipper had figured that he could do worse. When the promise of 'after we're mated' became 'after our first child', Dipper had realized that he had been lied to. The future where he would be free to come and go, well educated and independent, with a tolerant if not supportive alpha to back him up, had slipped away from him. William had decided that what Dipper really needed to be happy was to be with child and to stay indoors. When Dipper argued, he forced his will upon the omega.

Taking the pill, Dipper decided that tomorrow, if he didn't get William to agree to being possessed before evening, this time he would spare himself some grief and just go along with whatever the alpha wanted.

He sneaked inside. The lights were on in the office, which meant that William was still working and hadn't noticed Dipper's midnight excursion. He changed into his pajamas, long sleeved with pants he could tie tightly around his waist, and lied down under the covers. Mind whirling with thoughts, he knew he wouldn't get sleep tonight. Several plans were forming at once, then backup plans to those plans. Bill's instructions had been vague enough to give him a lot of leeway in how he worded things. He tended to make plans more complicated than the situation required, so the couple first ones were twenty step schemes that needed at least four other people to pull off. It was close to dawn when he decided that simple worked best, and a casual conversation angle would get him the farthest. The whole deal with a demon thing was nearing a moral dark area he didn't want to think about as it was, no need to make the execution more painful than it needed to be.

When he deemed the hour reasonable, he got up and padded to the kitchen after a quick detour to the bathroom. William was sitting at the table, drinking coffee and reading the paper. His blond hair was combed out of the way, immaculate even when he looked like he either hadn't slept or had slept in his office. He looked up when Dipper entered but didn't say anything. Dipper got his coffee and sat down opposite the alpha.

"This is rare, don't you have morning cartoons to watch or something?" William commented without taking his eyes off the newspaper.

"What, I can't have breakfast in the kitchen now?" Dipper snapped back, forgetting for a moment that he was supposed to get on the alpha's good side. It was true, though; they never had breakfast together if Dipper could avoid it.

"Mind your tone, you know I didn't mean it like that," William said, flashing his teeth. "I'm just saying that it's uncommon for you to join me at the table."

Dipper broke their glaring match by facing down. "Sorry." The act of deference grated on him but getting out of the situation forever was more important than his pride. "I didn't sleep well," he explained.

"You really should take better care of yourself, especially this time of year," William said. Dipper forced down a reply with a gulp of coffee. Spring and hormones could go to hell, and so could his mate.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," he pretended to agree. "So, um, do you remember those puppets Mabel made of us?" It had been before his sister had learned what went on behind closed doors.

If William was confused by the change of topic, he didn't show it. "I think they're in a box somewhere in the attic. Why do you ask?"

"I talked to this dude last night, online, and he's really into puppets," Dipper bent the truth. "Like, a real demon of a collector."

William raised an eyebrow at the choice of words but didn't comment.

"So, I just wanted to know if you'd allow him to use a puppet indefinitely," Dipper finished. Not his smoothest work.

"I suppose if you can find them then yes."

It wasn't good enough. "Okay but can they use any puppet of their choosing I can find?"

It was clear from William's expression and the way he shook out the newspaper that he wanted to get back to it and for this strange conversation to be over. "Fine, yes, they can use any puppet," he said in a huff, rolling his eyes. "Now if you'll just-" He never got to tell Dipper what he should do. William's body lurched forward. The sudden movement made Dipper jump back and stumble over his chair.

By the time he righted himself, and the chair, yellow eyes were staring back at him. They glowed softly in the morning light, and Dipper couldn't help but think that the grin he got suited William's narrow features, sharp canines and all.

"Bill?" Dipper asked.

The grin grew wider. "Hoo boy, you got on that a lot faster than I thought!"

Bill.

"You must've really wanted to get rid of this guy! Though, seeing all his memories, I can't blame you." The demon started studying his new hands, bringing them closer and farther from his face. "Depth perception, nice!"

Dipper looked on, caught in a loop of wonder and nausea. "You mean, you, that you have access to all that?" He needed to sit down. Memories of the day before came flooding back, of how he had been help down and bitten. Having grown up adventuring outdoors, Dipper wasn't as weak as some of the other omegas he knew, but he could never match William in raw, physical strength, and even when he managed to land a good blow, he always paid for it later.

"Hey, Pine Tree, you okay down there?" Bill was leaning across the table to peer at Dipper on the floor.

The words brought him back to the present for the moment. "Pine Tree?"

"You smell all woodsy and outdoorsy, it's nice," Bill shrugged with a grin.

He was in a body of an alpha. An alpha Dipper was mated to. Right.

Dipper crawled backwards until his back hit a wall. He hadn't gotten far but any distance was good distance right then. "Stay away," he warned, pressing himself against the wall and drawing his legs close to his body to protect his vitals. The smaller and tighter target he made, the less it would hurt, something primal screamed at him. Breathing was getting harder by the minute.

"Whoa, hey, relax. I'm not gonna hurt you." Bill stayed where he was and raised his hands, going for pacifying but missing by a bit. He kept looking amazed that his legs worked, and the ever present up tilt of his lips wasn't helping either. "Listen kid, you did me a real solid today. I mean, just look at this." He flexed. "In peak condition, has all its teeth, two eyes, this thing's deluxe! I'll even lock up his soul, free of charge. You don't even want to know what I'd ask for that, usually."

Somewhere during Bill's monologue, Dipper found his lungs again. It was hard to stay in his own head while hearing such nonsense. "That's, um, that's nice of you," Dipper said after a moment of regrouping.

"It is! I should get an award." Bill agreed. "Also, seeing you like this is making me feel some kind of way." He crunched his nose in disgust. It was an expression Dipper had never seen on William's face and it was adorable.

"I guess that'd be your instincts telling you that your mate is in distress," Dipper ventured, uncurling from his defensive ball bit by bit. "Though, I assumed William didn't have those."

"Just think of me as William 2.0!"

"I'd rather not."

"Just think of me as Bill Cipher!"

"That I can do."

Supporting himself against the wall, Dipper got up. He couldn't make himself look Bill in the face as he made his way to the toaster and the coffee machine. The coffee in his mug had gone cold and he wanted something more solid. "Hey, uh," Dipper started as he measured the grounds. "What just happened, with me reacting like that, just ignore it, ok? I get like that sometimes and it's really nothing you need to worry about."

"That didn't seem so bad," Bill dismissed.

Dipper nodded, sifting his focus on locating the bread. "It's worse, usually, but listening to your rant helped, a little," he admitted, silent and subdued. It had been an eventful morning.

"Well, prepare to never go through that again because I talk constantly."

Surprised into looking at Bill, he caught him seconds before he poured coffee on his face. To be fair, some of it did end up in his open mouth. Dipper stared, in awe, of this creature of nonsense. "Dude, that is not how you drink coffee," he stated. The coffee dripped down Bill's chin and on his shirt. It was one of the plain, white button-ups William always wore, ruined by a brown, spreading stain. Good riddance.

Bill thrust his empty mug at Dipper. "Fill me up!"

"No, look, just give me that," Dipper took the mug, placing it on the counter and grabbed some paper towels from a nearby roll. Without thinking, he went back over to Bill to dab his face with the crumbled up towels, moving on to the front of his shirt. "You're a mess." He meant it in more ways than one.

What alerted him that something was up, was the silence. So far Bill had always had something to say, a clever line or a strange comment. Dipper barely heard him breathe, then. He looked up from the stain to see Bill studying him. Back lit by the window, strange eyes aglow, he looked the part of a puppet master. He carried himself differently than William, Dipper noted. Where William had personified good posture, Bill slouched a little, leaning more of his weight on one foot. The look on his face was amused and curious on the surface but Dipper found it subtly calculating, telling him that despite Bill's zany antics, this was an intelligent being.

Some of the coffee had gotten into his hair, ruining William's immaculate do, revealing some natural curls. Their eyes found each other again and Dipper realized that he was just resting his hand on Bill's chest. And suffering from an acute case of dry-mouth.

"Uuuh," he said like the smart young man he was. He took his hand back as though burned, backing away a couple steps. "Right, ok," he ran a hand through his hair. "That shirt's a lost cause, so go clean up and change," he instructed before turning back to his coffee and toast making duties. "His clothes are in the bedroom closet, down the hall, first door on the left, it has an en suite."

To his surprise and relief, Bill left without a word. Maybe their moment had gotten to him, too. Maybe there hadn't been "a moment" and Dipper was just imagining things. He preferred the later.

 


	2. Activate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy cow you guys! I can't believe the positive response the first chapter got! Thank you so much, especially the kudos count blew my mind but I appreciate all the comments and bookmarks, too :D It really puts more wind in my writing sails! I'll try to keep the updates on a regular once a week schedule. Enjoy!

His toast was done when he heard the shower run. So Bill knew how to use the shower but not how to drink? Next, Dipper heard rummaging from the bedroom, like Bill had found the closet and was just digging right in there. He poured two mugs of coffee, put on some more toast in case Bill wanted any, and sat at the table. The newspaper lay forgotten on it. According to the weather forecast, a rain storm was coming. Dipper folded the paper.

Soon, Bill reappeared wearing a sweater Mabel had knit William after they had been formally introduced. It was a bright yellow affair with sleeves too long and a skateboarding elephant on the front, with the word "Radical!!" under it.

"Hey, I thought he'd killed that with fire," Dipper said to break the silence before it even thought about becoming awkward. Bill had paired it with the only pants option: black slacks.

"It was the only piece of clothing that didn't bore me to tears ooh coffee," Bill said all in one breath. This time he watched Dipper take a drink first before copying him. It was a success.

"There's toast, too, if you want." They might as well get all the eating and drinking basics down right away.

Bill took to "eating like a person", as he put it, with the enthusiasm Dipper had come to expect from him. It was weird to get a hang on how the demon operated in such a short time. While Dipper didn't quite buy that what you saw was what you got with Bill, he felt like he had gotten to know this side of Bill in record time.

He still had some concerns.

"So, now that you have a body, what are you gonna do with it?" The journals had some warnings about Bill but they never went into specifics. It was just stuff like "Beware!" and "Do not summon at any cost!", both warnings Dipper had ignored.

Bill shrugged, spraying crumbs everywhere as he spoke. "Bit of this and that. Let's just say that I have some unfinished business that needs taking care of."

"Like what?" The more Bill avoided detail, the more suspicious Dipper got. He was willing to admit that maybe it wasn't any of his business; Bill was a free agent and no where in their agreement did it say that Dipper had any say in what Bill did once he had a body. But now that he was no longer desperate to escape, he was starting to worry.

The demon grinned, leaning his head on his hand. "You're the inquisitive type, aren't you?" It was more of a rhetoric question. "I saw the books you'd squirreled away under your clothes, all kinds of topics, advanced reading."

Dipper's eye twitched in annoyance at the mention of Bill going through his stuff. Bill's grin grew and he leaned towards Dipper.

"Why aren't you out there making something of yourself, _Dipper_?"

The way the demon articulated his name sent a shiver down his spine. He knew where the conversation was going; this was another business transaction and he had no leverage to negotiate. "I need my alpha to fill out paperwork to apply to the school I want to go to," he admitted, reluctant to share the information and to face the memories it brought to the surface. "And um," he shifted on his seat, uncomfortable, "William wasn't too keen on the idea of me going, as it turned out." He tried to play it off with a shrug but got the feeling that Bill saw right through him.

"Well, he's gone now and I'm all about the higher education!" Bill declared, pleased that the conversation was going his way, throwing his arms up, pointed teeth glinting in the morning light. "So lemme make you a proposition." He rested his hands on the back of his neck, stretched out on his chair.

Dipper was unimpressed by the alpha trying to make himself look bigger. "What? Do you want my unquestioning obedience and a bunch of kids, too?" he deadpanned.

Bill made a face, "Ew, no, what am I gonna do with those? What I want," he straightened up, put on more professional airs, "is for you to not tell anyone I'm here, in exchange for me filling out your school paperwork." He held out a hand, "Deal?"

Eying the offered hand, Dipper said, "I'll also need William's money to pay for my fees." He should think it through more but Bill was offering him everything he had ever wanted for the small price of not telling anyone that he had hired a demon to get rid of his mate. It wasn't something he was eager to share anyway.

"You drive a hard bargain, kid."

"No, I don't," Dipper corrected. "You're bargaining away someone else's property for what I assume is a tactical advantage. You lose nothing while gaining the upper hand in whatever you're doing."

Bill's eyebrow rose. A warm, light feeling bloomed in Dipper's chest, unexpected but not unwelcome. Some of it was his own sense of accomplishment for catching Bill in a lie, but the prominent part was coming through their mate bond. He had pleased his alpha, a feeling he had never gotten before. Dipper blushed, clearing his throat. "Anyway..."

The grin was back. "This is gonna be fun," Bill mused before blue flames encased his out stretched hand. "So! I fill your school paperwork and pay the fees, you don't tell anyone that you contracted me or that I'm around. Do we have a deal?"

Still buzzing from the feedback, Dipper took the hand, "We have a deal." The flames licked his hand without burning it, the demon's palm was warm. The moment the fire died out, Dipper took his hand back, pretending to find the surface of the table fascinating. There was a coffee stain on it, as well as some toast crumbs. He started pushing them into small piles.

The legs of the chair screeched when Bill got up. Dipper felt him brush past on the way to the living room and was careful not to react. It wasn't like him to cater to anyone or to attempt to clean up their mess, yet he had fed Bill and done the paper towel thing without even thinking. On top of that, their bond worked. Or it did, on his end. It was meant to give mates a better read on their partner in a form of mild telepathy. He had read stories of older couples being able to communicate through it, and media was filled with romanticized depictions where mates could send thoughts past long distances to their destined partner. Dipper had never bought into it. He didn't want an alpha in his head; not getting anything from William had been a relief.

Dipper's hands shook. He clasped them together, regulating his breathing. It would be alright, he just needed Bill's help with the applications and get the money transferred to his account. He could do this.

Behind him, Bill was browsing the bookshelf, muttering to himself. Dipper was drawn to the doorway separating the kitchen from the living room by the noise. Bill ran his finger past the tittles, took a book out, flipped through it and threw it over his shoulder to join the others he had discarded.

"What are you doing?" Dipper asked, peeved.

Bill smiled, the picture of innocence. "Oh nothing, just looking through your book collection. Gotta say Pine Tree, you're a lot more into finance and birds than I'd have guessed."

"Most of the stuff on the shelves are his," Dipper said. "Though, I think there are a couple of my detective novels in there." He needed to save those before Bill got to them.

"So you hid your books with your clothes?"

"The ones he didn't like me having, anyway. A lot of my stuff is in this tourist joint my grunkle used to run," Dipper explained.

"I see," Bill muttered, loosing interest in whatever was left on the shelf. He let himself fall on the couch closest to the book collection, bouncing a bit as he settled. "This is a nice house," he commented, craning his neck to look around while lying down.

Wondering where this was going, Dipper agreed, "Yeah." It was true, the house was nice, well kept and roomy, in a good neighborhood. The kind of place you reared kids in, and once again Dipper was struck by how stupid he had been for not seeing it coming. He should have known that the extra bedrooms weren't so he could have a study of his own.

"I think I'll use it as a base of operations for now," Bill continued, breaking Dipper out of his spiral of self-loathing. He was about to protest, that wasn't a part of the deal, if Bill stayed he might start to like the company, but the demon went on before he could. "William can't just disappear, right? Not without people questioning you about it, and I'm guessing you don't want that." Bill looked up at him from his position on the couch, eyes half-lidded and a slow smile forming on his lips. Dipper felt hot with what he told himself was anger. He stormed off with a snarl, heard Bill snap his teeth at him but with the giggle that followed, it came across as playful rather than threatening.

He couldn't do this.

In the bedroom, among the mess of books and clothes, he found the pants Bill had discarded. He dug out a wallet from the pocket. A distraction was what he needed, a project, and there was one thing he could start with to make the house livable. He needed a new bed.

On his way to the study, he ran into Bill again. almost literally. He side-stepped him with barely a glance, and the demon followed him to the computer where Dipper started to browse for bed options.

"I like the gold frame," Bill said from behind him.

"It's gaudy as hell," Dipper replied, annoyed for not getting a moment's peace to gather his wits.

"Yeah, why do you think I like it?"

Dipper snorted a laugh, despite his bad mood. The only thing keeping him from cursing himself for it was that he could feel how pleased Bill was for making him laugh. He mulled over it, trying to concentrate on choosing a bed, and found something reluctant about the feeling, like Bill didn't want to feel as good about it as he did. He looked up at the demon, surprised by the amount of nuance he could access. Bill, standing by his shoulder, was looking back at him, frowning.

"Bill," Dipper said, softer than he had intended. "I just, it's really hard for me to deal with having an alpha around, that I'm mated to," he explained in an unexpected bout of emotional honesty. "Because that didn't turn out so well for me, so basically what I'm getting at is." He glanced away from Bill, nervous. "Is that if I act like a little bitch, it's not on you, and I don't want you to think that I'm like, ungrateful for you dealing with my shit for me. So there," he finished, going back to browsing.

"You haven't acted like a little bitch so far," Bill said, revealing that he could turn down his speaking volume if he put his mind to it. "Considering all you've been through, you're coping very well."

The images on the screen grew blurry as tears welled up. Dipper wiped at his eyes, angry with himself for crying. He was acting like a giant baby, tearing up about everything now when things were starting to look up. How pathetic was that?

"Ooh, get the one shaped like a heart!" Bill leaned over him to point at the screen. He left several fingerprints with his excited poking before Dipper swatted his hand away.

"Absolutely not."

They spent a good while bickering about which bed Dipper should get, and somewhere in the midst of it, he forgot to feel terrible.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a small side note: I don't have a beta and English isn't my first language so if you spot anything off, feel free to let me know!


	3. Weak Point

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Friday the 13th! I hope no one's suffering from bad luck. What a day to be updating. Feedback is appreciated, as always.

Bill left to take care of some business, leaving Dipper by himself in the house. The moment he was alone, he started throwing William's stuff into garbage bags. Throwing away books felt weird so those went into the attic until he figured out where to donate them. Besides the books, he kept the computer and the laptop, along with some of William's clothes in case Bill needed any. The kitchen appliances and the entertainment center were shared property, so those got to stay.

Once all of the garbage was out of sight, he dug out all of his books from their hiding places, putting them on the shelves. The house looked empty but the space was his now. Cleaning the house made him feel cleansed, too, like he had more energy.

If the weather was turning bad like the forecast said, he needed to go grocery shopping to prepare for the long days spent watching bad horror movies. He could get all the snacks he could carry and watch all the dumb flicks he wanted while the wind and rain beat against the windows. It sounded like heaven.

When he got back, the house was still empty. He called out to Bill, just to make sure, and got no response. It wasn't like he cared, but a nagging feeling inside kept reminding him that he didn't know where his mate was or when he would be coming back, if ever. He brushed it aside the best he could, focusing on unpacking the groceries.

After, he went and got his contraceptives out of the tree stump. There was no reason to keep them hidden, even if he was unlikely to need them. It wasn't like he was planning on jumping into bed with Bill, wayward emotions or no. Sure, he was starting to feel the effects of the season, and Bill playing the role of his alpha was a vast improvement, but it didn't have to mean anything. He was the master of his body, not the other way around.

He would keep taking the pills, just in case.

The clouds on the horizon were dark and heavy. Dipper made sure to close the patio door on his way inside. The next couple of days were for indoor activities alone.

That night, Dipper slept in one of the guest bedrooms. The new bed would take a few days to get delivered, and until then, he wanted to stay out of the bedroom. There was too much baggage associated with it, things he wasn't ready to think about, for him to feel comfortable sleeping on their shared bed.

Bill hadn't come back. It wasn't a huge concern, as long as he kept his part of the deal. Dipper kept telling himself that he didn't care where the demon spent his time, while tossing and turning well into the night.

Sleep was fitful and before noon it was raining. When Dipper dragged himself out of bed, dark clouds were rolling across the sky. As he drank his morning coffee, he watched fat raindrops beat the lawn on the backyard and the forest beyond it. The noise was soothing.

After breakfast, cereal this time, Dipper took a quick shower. He locked the door despite being alone and made quick work of cleaning himself. His skin had a sensitivity to it he hadn't experienced in a while, it made him curse biology for making something as mundane as showering an ordeal. He ran his hands across the planes of his body before realizing what he was doing, turning the water all the way to cold. The temperature change shocked him out of it, soothed his overworking body for the moment. He got dressed in a hurry. It was time for a distraction.

Gathering all the blankets and pillows he could find, Dipper built a cozy movie watching pile on the couch facing the television. The glass coffee table between the couch and the tv was filled with junk food by the time he had everything set to his liking. Just about to pop in the disc and snuggle up in his nest, he heard the front door open.

Dipper froze. He had made such a mess, the movie he was about to watch was garbage, his well-worn clothes made him look like a slob. Hide.

Before Dipper had time to act, Bill announced himself with a loud, "Honey, I'm home!" It was such a ridiculous, cliche thing to say that Dipper found himself functioning again. He finished with his task, plopping down on the couch just as Bill poked his head in the living room.

"What're you up to?" he asked, eyeing Dipper's set up. His eyes narrowed, suspicious about the casual way the omega tried to borrow under the blankets.

Dipper started the movie, keeping his focus on the screen. "Just, you know, watching some movies and pigging out."

"Sounds fun."

When Bill's voice lacked it normal obnoxious volume, Dipper took a good look at him for the first time since he had got there. He stood, dripping on the floor, clothes soaked through and clinging to him. If anyone ever asked, Dipper had not stopped to stare. He knew the body was in good shape, it had always been the personality he had a problem with.

"You're soaked, you need to change before you catch your death," Dipper said, agitated. He paused the movie to usher Bill into the bedroom when the demon made no move to comply. Bill could have resisted his shoving but didn't, going where Dipper guided. Helping Bill to change was where he drew the line. He left the demon to it with a "Borrow the sweaters Mabel made me if you want," and grabbed a towel from the hall closet to spread out on the puddle Bill had left. It was as far as he was willing to go to deal with the situation right then. He just wanted to watch dumb movies and relax. Was that too much to ask?

He snuggled into the pillows, pulling a blanket around himself. A bowl of candy on his lap, he pressed play just as Bill sauntered into the room again, this time falling next to Dipper on the couch. Dipper grunted in annoyance.

"So what are we watching?" Bill invited himself into Dipper's plans.

"I don't know about 'we'," he said, hoping that Bill would take a hint and leave him be. It didn't look like Bill was much of a hint taker, as he stole one of Dipper's pillows and reached for the candy. Dipper glared, pulling the bowl away from Bill.

"Are you testy because you almost had one of your episodes earlier?" Bill asked, munching on his spoils.

Dipper felt his hackles rise, a growl working its way out. "And what if I am?"

"Yes, then," Bill concluded. He turned to sit sideways, resting his arm on the back of the couch. "Remember how yesterday you were all apologetic about it and I basically told you that your reactions were natural and that I didn't mind?"

Dipper did remember. He slumped farther into the couch cushions, letting his head hit the back rest. Bill's hand was right behind his head but for the moment he paid it no mind. "I feel like such an asshole," he admitted. All he had done so far was get up in Bill's business and then turn around and snap at him for it. It wasn't Bill's fault he was a mess.

"Don't worry about it." Bill's fingers dwell into his hair, scratching Dipper's scalp gently. He had a half a mind to pull away but the attention felt nice. He hadn't even realized how starved for affection he was until his head leaned back on its own accord. A raspy, disused purr started in his chest as Bill continued with his ministrations. He closed his eyes, let himself have this.

"Feels good, huh?" Bill shifted so he had better access to work his fingers into Dipper's messy curls. "So this is what it takes to tame the raging beast," the demon mused.

"Shut up, I'm not that bad," Dipper argued, voice coming out breathier than he had heard it. He felt content, warm, malleable. They were close enough for him to feel Bill shrug.

"Maybe not, but I definitely prefer you like this, purring rather than growling."

Dipper cracked an eye open, smiling at Bill, too in bliss to care. "You gotta work for it."

Bill grinned back, "Yeah? Doesn't seem too hard."

"You're attacking my weak point for massive damage."

"Dork," Bill said, teasing an earlobe with his thumb, and guiding Dipper's head to rest on his shoulder. The omega couldn't think up a reason why he shouldn't just go with it. "What's this movie about, anyway?"

"Her boyfriend turns out to be a bunch of well-organized bees and she's allergic." Dipper hadn't been paying attention but he had seen the film before. "Spoilers: she becomes the queen bee, somehow," he made a loose hand gesture; the movie never explained how it worked. "It's a master piece of cinema."

The warmth of another body and the petting was lulling him to sleep. He hadn't slept too well the night before, he was comfortable, he knew where his mate was, even though he would never admit it was a factor, and the familiarity of the bad effects made him feel safe. He slept.

* * *

 

The repeating music of the menu screen brought Dipper back to the waking world. There was something soft under his cheek that he couldn't help but rub against, letting out a content murmur. The texture was familiar but the scent clinging to it wasn't. It reminded him of someone that had him shying way, suddenly wide awake. For a moment, fear took over and he reared back. He didn't get far with an arm around him.

"Jeez, relax, would ya?" A voice said, snapping Dipper's attention on yellow eyes and an infuriating grin. Bill.

The tension left him and Dipper let himself go lax against the demon's shoulder. It had a small damp spot where he had been drooling in his sleep. Bill was wearing one of Dipper's sweaters, deep blue and soft. He thought it was the one with his name embroidered on the front.

"Sorry, for a second there I thought," he didn't finish. Time to change the subject. "How long was I asleep? You should've just put on the next movie."

"Aw, but you're so cute, all sleepy. I didn't want to wake you," Bill cooed, leaning close.

Dipper shoved at his face, which only made Bill laugh. He disentangled from the blankets, and Bill, to go change the disc. "I'm not cute, I'm a raging beast, remember?"

"A raging beast that snuggles into me and drools on my shirt."

"Shut up," Dipper muttered while settling back into his nest, not pushing Bill away this time when he leaned his chin on Dipper's shoulder, speaking into his ear.

"Don't feel bad, I know I'm irresistible." Bill breathed him in, shameless in his scenting. Dipper didn't know what to do with that but his body had some strong opinions, such as 'bare you neck for easier access'. He shrugged the shoulder Bill was on, trying to shoo him off. For a moment, he feared that the demon would push for more, but it turned out to be unfounded as Bill backed off with a sigh. He sounded frustrated.

The following silence was tense. It made Dipper fidgety and unable to focus on the movie. The candy bowl lay next to him, so as a peace offering, Dipper pushed it towards Bill. The demon glanced between the candy and Dipper, a smirk growing on his face, ready to comment.

Dipper beat him to it, "If you make a joke about me giving you some sugar, I will end you."

"Pfft, I'd never be that predictable," Bill said without elaborating on what he had been about to say instead. Taking a handful of candy, he turned to the movie, "This doesn't have nearly enough gore."

Dipper went back to watching the screen, too. "That guy just got his head ripped off by a werewolf mummy, that's gory."

"I've seen more gore at a kindergarten." The offhanded comment got a worried glance from Dipper. "What?" Bill asked, throwing a piece of candy at his mouth and missing.

"There's so many things wrong with what you just said."

"That wasn't even on me, I was just at the right place at the right time!" Bill defended. The mummy werewolf on the screen howled.

"Please stop saying things."

"Things!"

"Oh my god."

  


 


	4. You Like Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realize the plot is moving at a snail's pace right now but it is moving. These interactions are important for what's coming later, also they're fun to write. (comments feed my life force)

The storm refused to let up. On the upside, Dipper had plenty of bad movies and snacks. On the downside, he was spending a lot of time with Bill in a limited space. The demon was better company than Dipper had pegged him for but that only made the problem worse.

Dipper liked spending time with him. He was witty and never boring, and nothing bad had happened when Dipper had fallen asleep on him. It put him at ease and he hated it. Bill could get close without Dipper panicking; it was new and strange and he didn't like how complacent it made him. His body was all too aware that he was in close proximity to his mate, it made him needy in a way he had never been with _him_. He was trapped in a yes-no loop he couldn't begin to unravel.

Bill alternated between being amused and frustrated with both Dipper's reactions and his own. He was tactile in a way that told Dipper he wasn't used to touching physical objects. Once, Dipper had caught him rubbing his cheek against a fleece blanket. It had been so cute that Dipper had just stood there, smiling like an idiot until Bill had noticed him. The demon didn't look embarrassed in the least but Dipper had made a hasty retreat.

In the present, Dipper was teaching Bill how to operate the stove. There was no way he was doing all the cooking, he wasn't even good at it. Much to his surprise, Bill got the hang of it fast.

"I don't see why you're so amazed," the demon said, pouring batter onto the pan. Pancakes were one of the only things Dipper knew how to make, so he figured it was a good place to start. "I have an intellect way off your puny human charts, cooking some batter on a pan isn't that hard."

"When you got here, you didn't know how to drink from a mug," Dipper pointed out.

"So I lacked some fine motor skills, big deal," Bill said, defensive. "I have all of them now."

Dipper raised a brow. "You have all of the motor skills?" Oh but he did enjoy ragging on the alpha, it was one of the few pleasures in life.

Bill stared him in the eye, "All of them," and flipped the pancake. It made an arch in the air and landed back on the pan. Reluctantly impressed, Dipper gave him slow, sarcastic applause. The demon preened. "You liked that? Do my rad pancake skills get you going?"

Dipper snorted. "How could I resist someone who can do basic chores and uses the word 'rad'?" he deadpanned. Bill laughed and warmth seeped through the bond, encouraging Dipper to grin up at him. When Bill reached over to run a knuckle along his jaw, Dipper's first reaction wasn't to flinch away but to lean in. Bill looked awfully pleased with himself.

"Your pancake's about to burn," Dipper observed, still smiling.

"What." Bill looked distracted, thumb brushing across Dipper's cheek. The smell of burning reached him, snapping him out of whatever trance the omega had put him under. "Oh! Right, yeah." He placed it on a plate, one side darker than the other. "I can't get anything done with you distracting me," he muttered at the pancake. It seemed like a disproportionate response to burning a bit of batter but Dipper got the feeling it wasn't just about that.

What had the demon wanted a body for? He was sure it it hadn't just been so he could hang out with a human. Bill had dodged the question the last time, and Dipper hadn't witness him do anything heinous but it didn't change the fact that demons weren't known for their benevolent nature. He knew he shouldn't let Bill being nice to him lull him into a sense of security, yet that was what had happened. The more time he spent around Bill, the more he compared it to his former situation, the more safe he felt. The season was effecting him, the bond was to blame were both things he could keep telling himself but it did little to change the way he felt.

"It's alright," Dipper tried. He placed a hand on Bill's shoulder, giving it an awkward pat. "There's always the next pancake."

"I'm a being far more powerful than you can imagine," Bill moved away from the patting. "There isn't a set back I can't deal with."

"Um, alright?" Dipper's hand was left hovering in the air where Bill's shoulder used to be. He had to admire the demon's confidence, even though he didn't understand where all this was coming from. "Do you want me to handle the next one?" From where he stood, with Bill facing the counter, he could see a grin form, hear the demon chuckle. It made his face feel warm.

"Well, there is something I want you to handle," he turned to Dipper, and the omega wasn't sure what he wanted to happen but a shiver of warmth traveled down his spine. It was such a bad line, he felt angry that it worked on him. But instead of doing anything about it, Bill shooed him away. "Stop hovering, I've got this. Go sit at the table or something."

With a huff, Dipper went to sit at the table. Stupid hormones. How come they were never a problem before but now with a demon possessing his alpha, they decided it would be a good time to run rampant? An alpha was being decent around him, time to jump on his dick! He buried his head in his arms, frustrated. For a moment, he wondered if Bill felt like this, too, before putting down the line of thought. It didn't matter. Nothing could happen between them because it was a bad idea.

The rest of the pancakes turned out fine. Dipper poked at them, appetite not there. They smelled delicious and the fact that Bill had made them, was offering them to him, satisfied something primal inside him. There was just a lot on his mind.

He looked over at Bill who had stopped eating, eying Dipper's full plate like it had personally offended him. "It's not poisoned, ya know," he said.

"I didn't think it was," Dipper pushed a piece around with his fork. "I'm not that hungry."

"You've barely eaten anything today and it just so happens that I'm weirdly invested in you eating those pancakes for whatever reason." Bill got up, crossed the table to sit on it next to Dipper's plate.

"What are you doing?" Dipper asked. He watched Bill cut the rest of his pancake to pieces before offering him one with a fork.

"Open up," the demon insisted with a grin. When Dipper started to protest, Bill took the opportunity to slip the piece into his mouth. "There you go!"

Dipper chewed and swallowed with a glare, pushing Bill's hand away when he tried to offer up the next bit. "I'm not a baby, I can eat on my own."

"All evidence points to the contrary!" Bill declared, brandishing the fork in the air with pancake still on it.

"Did you use your own fork to feed me?" It occurred to him that he was still holding one in his hand.

"Yeah." Bill waggled his eyebrows, "You like?"

"Gasp, an indirect kiss," Dipper said, unimpressed with the demon. It was hard to remain angry with Bill, and Dipper found himself more amused with the situation than anything. A soft smile tugged at the corners of his mouth and Dipper might not have noticed but Bill did, grin widening into obnoxious territory.

"You like mee," he sang, "You think I'm charmiiing~"

The smile was gone, replaced with a frown. "I don't-" he was silenced with a piece of pancake. "Mmhm!" Dipper protested, shoving at Bill. The demon didn't budge, in hysterics while Dipper seethed.

"Admit defeat! Submit to the feeding!" He had the next piece ready.

Fine. So Dipper couldn't win this one but he could make Bill feel the pain he felt. He accepted the offering, making sure to drag his lips on the fork when he pulled the piece off, maintaining eye contact. He feared licking his lips and the little pleased moan was over-doing it. Bill, however, was focused on his mouth now, pressing the next morsel on it. Pulling it off with his teeth, Dipper got some syrup on his chin. He felt a bit silly while using his finger to wipe it off and sucking the digit into his mouth.

"I-I think," Bill stuttered. It was the first time Dipper heard him do so and he couldn't help the tiny smirk. "I think that's enough."

Dipper pouted up at him, holding back a laugh. "But alpha, I'm so hungry," he used his best subservient omega voice. It wasn't that good, he was out of practice but it worked for a moment. Bill gulped, his hand moving towards the plate, before his eyes narrowed, catching on.

"You-!" Bill pointed the empty fork at Dipper, "You're doing this on purpose!" He looked scandalized, like Dipper one-upping him was unheard of.  His expression changed into a fight between betrayed and impressed when Dipper burst out laughing.

When his laughter let up a bit, Dipper sang in an imitation of Bill from earlier, "You like mee, you think I'm sexyy~"

The demon hopped off the table with a huff. For the rest of the day, it was almost like he was sulking. When Dipper went to check up on him before bed, Bill was looking at something on William's computer. Dipper left him to it.  

* * *

 

Dipper woke up when the digital clock on the nightstand glared 2:01. At first, he couldn't pinpoint what had disturbed his slumber. There were no out of place noises, just the gentle sound of rain hitting the window. Then, illuminated by the nearest street light coming through a crack in the curtains he saw Bill, standing next to the bed, staring down at him. His eyes glowed, creating a play of light and shadow on his face. Dipper couldn't read his expression.

"Bill?" he whispered despite there being no chance of waking anyone else up. "What are you doing?"

Bill looked him in the eye, his mask cracking after a moment, going from emotionless to agitated. He sighed heavily through his nose, taking a step back. "Nothing, just go back to sleep," he kept his voice down, too, serious for once. "I'm going to leave for a bit, handling things, you know how it is."

Dipper didn't know. He sat up when Bill turned to leave. "Wait," he said. "Are you ok?" The demon was weird by definition but Dipper had never seen him like this.

"Of course," Bill grinned over his shoulder but it rang false. Before Dipper could call him out on it, he was gone.

The front door slammed. Through the window, Dipper could see him cross the yard and disappear down the street. Worry gnawed at the omega. Bill was creepy and strange, and standing by someone's bed watching them sleep fell into both categories but it still stood out from the normal Bill-behaviour. He wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight.

In the morning he called Mabel. The reason he had put it off for so long, besides being otherwise engaged, was that he didn't know what to tell her. He couldn't tell the truth and he hated lying to his sister but he had to let her know that things were looking up for him.

Also he needed to not think about Bill for at least a little while. He couldn't get too wrapped up in the demon's comings and goings.

Debating on what to say and pacing the length of the guest room, he listened to the dial tone.

"Brobro?" Mabel picked up, voice a mixture of excitement and worry.

"Hey, Mabel," Dipper greeted. "How are you?"

"How am I?! I haven't heard from you in weeks! Are you even alive right now? Is this a ghost phone call?"

Ok, so Mabel was a bit upset with him. "Calm down, I'm fine," he tried to reassure. "I'm sorry it's been so long, but hey, I've got good news for once."

"Like what?" Dipper could picture her crossing her arms, almost as stubborn as him.

"I can't tell you any specifics but I got help and I'm doing a lot better. William's like a whole different person." He cringed at his choice of words; a bad joke was as close as he could get to telling the truth.

"Okay?" Mabel didn't sound convinced. "Did you guys get couples counseling or something?" They both knew the relationship had been far beyond anything counseling could fix.

"Yes?" Dipper tried anyway.

"Uh-huh. Comment on the weather if he's making you say this."

He sighed, "He's not making me say anything, he's not even around."

There was a silence on the other end before Mabel spoke again, hesitant, "Dipper," she started. "Did you murder him?"

Dipper sputtered, "What? No?" Not that he hadn't thought about it. Was William technically dead, though? He wasn't sure how the whole demonic possession thing worked.

"Why was that a question?" Mabel questioned with in a whisper, like she was worried that someone might hear her. "Oh my god, you didn't, did you? Just tell me if you need help getting rid of the body, I'll be there."

"That's not-! Mabel, no, I didn't kill him!" He was losing patience with the conversation. "Look," he rubbed the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes for a moment. "It's complicated and I can't tell you what's happened, but please, please just believe that I'm ok now."

A buff of air as Mabel sighed. "You're really not making me less worried, here."

"I'm sorry," Dipper said, defeated, hoping that Mabel would just let it go.

"Sooo," Mabel drew out while considering her next words. "Does this mean I'll see you this summer?"

Relieved, Dipper sat down on the bed. "Yeah, I really want to see everyone."


	5. Magic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a bit on the short side this week, sorry.  
> RoboticSpaceCase drew a comic for a scene in chapter four  
> [here](http://roboticspacecase.tumblr.com/post/166768239714/so-theres-this-abo-billdip-fic-called-leave-it)

A day passed with no sign of Bill. Dipper kept himself busy with reading and keeping up with the weather forecast. It claimed that the rainy days would last until the end of the week and then clear up. He was ready for the rain to end. The fridge was starting to look a bit sparse, he would have to go to the store once just looking outside didn't make him feel soaked. Maybe Bill would want to come with him. Granted the demon ever came back. Would he have told Dipper if he wasn't returning? Dipper had to admit that he didn't know.

He spent the next night reading in the guestroom he had stayed in, keeping an eye out for Bill while telling himself that it wasn't what he was doing. He liked sitting on the bed, the bed happened to be next to the window, the rain reflecting off the street lights was pretty. It would be only a matter of time before he convinced himself.  

It was well past noon the next day when the front door burst open. He didn't remember Bill having a key but he rushed to the hallway to greet the demon anyway, sure that it was him. Bill stood behind the threshold, not as rain-soaked as the last time he had been out, but blood splattered and wild-eyed. Dipper was torn between going to him to see if he was injured and booking it to the opposite direction. He settled for staying frozen where he was and letting Bill come to him. The demon walked in like he owned the world as the water evaporated off him.

Bill grinned, a manic glint in his eyes. "Pretty neat, right?" he said, preening under Dipper's amazed stare. "Check this out." A flame flared out on Bill's palm, different from the one he used for deal making. Dipper could feel its heat as Bill got closer and knew that this one would hurt.

"Um," he said. He had been distracted from the blood but now he could smell it. "What happened? There's blood!" One of his sweaters, ruined! Bill needed to start buying his own clothes if he was going go around getting them dirty.  

"Don't worry about it, none of it's mine!" Bill crowded him further as the flame died down. "Getting access to my powers in this form demanded some sacrifices." He took hold of Dipper's chin to get his eyes back on his and away from the stains. "Sooo, what do you think?"

"It's cool that you can dry yourself and make fire but less cool that you went on a murder spree?" Dipper took a stab at what kind of opinion the demon was after, thrown for a loop.

Bill looked up as though asking for strength, "What does it take," he muttered before facing Dipper again. "Your mind should be blown right now, also I didn't go on a murder spree."

It was clear from the way Bill paused and waited that he wanted Dipper to respond somehow but Dipper had no idea what he was after. "I, uh, I don't know what you want me to say, here."

"You don't have to say anything, just swoon a little."

The demon was ridiculous. Dipper couldn't believe he had been scared of him for a second. "Oh swoon," he said, expressionless.

Bill let go of him, leaving a blood smear behind. "I guess that's the best I'm gonna get."

"Yeah, well," Dipper wiped at his chin. "I'm not going to like, jump into your arms when you're _covered in blood_." He eyed the demon, annoyed but still looking for wounds. When he couldn't find any, he let the wall behind him support some of his weight, crossing his arms. "Okay, so you say none of it is yours, let's say I believe you." He gave Bill his best interrogation stare. The demon didn't look fazed. "Then whose is it? What did you do?"

Bill rolled his eyes. "I told you, getting to use my powers while in this meatsuit demanded a bit of a blood sacrifice," he explained, like Dipper was slow. "So I called in an old favor." At 'favor', Bill's eyes flashed blue.

"Oh," Dipper made a mental note to be careful what he bargained away. "You can do magic now?"

"Yes, Pine Tree, I can 'do magic' now," Bill used air quotes. "I don't think you grasp the level of power I'm taking about, I don't just pull rabbits out of hats and do card tricks, way to make a demon feel unappreciated."

It was Dipper's turn to give an eye roll, "Whatever, dude. It never even occurred to me that you couldn't before. The whole," he wiggled his fingers to indicate magic, "flame hand deal thing seemed pretty magical."

"That's different, took a lot of concentration," was Bill's off-handed explanation. He looked like he remembered something. "I have something for you," Bill reached into his pocket, pulling out a bracelet. It had off-white beads with symbols carved on them, some of which Dipper recognized from his reading, some foreign. The demon held it out for him with an expectant look, waiting for Dipper to take it. When Dipper did, after a moment of hesitation, he was relieved, like he had been anticipating rejection or more suspicion. "They tried to offer it as payment but I figured you'd get more use out of it." He tried to pass it off as a hand-me-down but Dipper knew, the same way he had known that Bill was anxious for him to take it, that it was a gift. Something Bill had gotten for him.

He studied the markings, and not finding anything sinister, just basic luck and protection, offered Bill a small smile, pointing out the triangle in one of the beads. "You want me to wear you on me?" It was meant as a joke but the way Bill crowded him further into the wall wasn't.

"I really do, and I don't know why." Bill grinned, it was a sharp, desperate thing. "Which is funny because I know everything." His eyes flashed and something shattered in the kitchen.

Dipper pressed himself tighter against the surface behind him while trying to look like he wasn't cowed. He had been worried about what Bill's sudden departure had meant, and apparently it meant that the demon was feeling more unstable than usual. "I might be able to explain that to you," he tried. His history of calming down alphas wasn't the best; he was better at pissing them off.

Bill startled him by leaning his head on Dipper's shoulder, nosing at his neck. It was the side the mate mark was on, and Dipper tensed up. The mark was an ugly scar, a reminder of all his stupid mistakes. Bill's nose was cold. "I didn't think it would effect me," he admitted, inhaling Dipper. "The bond, I mean."

Dipper swallowed, attempted to control the tiny shivers originating from where Bill was touching him. From the scant distance, he could tell that Bill's scent had shifted more towards sulfur and rain. He liked it. "Traditionally," Dipper said, voice soft, "when bonded, the alpha is the protective provider while the omega takes on a more nurturing, supportive role." He felt like he was quoting a textbook. "Um, the gifts are a way for the alpha to do both, I guess. They get to provide and let the world know that they're around. So, in a way, you're trying to fend off competition." Though, he supposed that the mark served that purpose. But it wasn't _Bill's_ mark, was it? Thinking about it made him feel even more confused about their situation than he already was.

Bill huffed. "Like anyone could compete against me, I'm awesome."

Smiling a little at the bravado, Dipper pat Bill on the back. "Of course you are."

"But you never act like you think that," Bill complained. "I'm the most powerful being you'll ever meet and you're not impressed at all."  

Unsure whether the insecurity was an alpha thing or a Bill thing, Dipper continued his awkward patting. "There, there," he said. "I'm impressed, but you have to understand that this isn't easy for me either. I mean, you," he paused to figure out just how honest he wanted to be. He would be lying if he said that their current position wasn't effecting him, warmth spreading into him from all points of contact. "My gut tells me that you're my mate, and with the season being what it is..." Honesty was the best policy or whatever. "And you're so good about everything, in your own obnoxious way, and sometimes I have like, these cravings." He needed to stop talking before he confessed to anything incriminating.

Bill pressed into him, warm and solid and good. He felt his body respond to the proximity and whined with it, flushing at the noise. The demon made his way to his ear, hands on his waist flexing. "I want to mark your insides," Bill growled. Dipper could feel it, the growing dampness in his underwear. It was such an oddly menacing way to phrase things, he couldn't believe it worked on him so well. The sensible part of him, that wasn't baring his throat in surrender, telling him that this was bad idea, was getting smaller.

The door bell rang. Bill pulled back to bare his teeth at it, grip on Dipper tightening. For a moment longer, all Dipper wanted was Bill's attention back on him. As the fog started to clear, he remembered that he was expecting a delivery.

"Oh, it's probably the bed," he said. It was about time. "So like, cool your jets and let me get the door." He was reluctant to get away from Bill but now that he was thinking at all, he recognized that they were rushing things, taken over by lust and instinct. Bill didn't look happy, either, as he let Dipper go. Bouncing on his tip toes, Dipper gave Bill a quick nuzzle, "Thanks." Taking his time walking the distance to the door, Dipper gave himself an extra moment to cool down.

Bill watched the delivery people like a hawk. All of them were beta so they didn't automatically trigger any protective responses. There was no way they didn't know what they had almost walked in on, though. It hung heavy in the air, how things would have played out if the delivery hadn't arrived right when it did. Dipper stood in the hallway, watching the workers, and keeping an eye on Bill. He felt slick and uncomfortable, both disappointed and relieved at being interrupted. He had _wanted_ but he wasn't prepared to deal with the emotional backlash that might have followed.  

Bill looked even more on edge than Dipper felt. He paced, glaring at the delivery people, still covered in blood. Dipper realized that he had some on him, too, from their close encounter. It was a miracle no one had called the police yet but maybe the blood combined with the scent of arousal looked like they were just a pair into some kinky shit. No one wanted to get in the middle of a mated pair's affairs.

Soon the hustle faded as the old bed had been loaded into a truck and the new one brought in. Dipper said his thanks, watched the truck speed off, delaying the inevitable awkwardness.

"Dipper," Bill didn't let him put it off for long. He was studying Dipper from the end of the hall, near the living room. Dipper smiled, grateful that the demon didn't look about to jump him. He wasn't sure if he could stop a second time.

"I think we need to talk," Dipper said, motioning Bill to step into the living room.


	6. my preferred term also

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the lack of pr0n. It's coming, I've written it, but it's a couple chapters away. Comments make me write with more gusto.

They sat side by side on the couch. It was the one closer to the bookshelf, without the comfort of pillows and blankets. Neither of them looked at the other, Dipper focusing on his hands. He heard Bill sigh next to him.

"So I take it you don't want to boink then," Bill said, put upon.

Dipper mouthed "boink" to himself before shaking off the choice of words and replying, "I think it'd be a bad idea."

"That doesn't sound like a definite no."

Taking a deep breath, Dipper turned towards Bill. The demon was making a point to stare at the opposite wall. Dipper touched his arm, "Look at me, please." It was time to put on his adult pants and have a conversation about  their situation. When Bill faced him, reluctant, he continued, "I've sort of been in denial about the whole thing, but with the way things are," he paused to choose his words. "Developing between us, we're probably going to have sex at some point," he admitted, as much to himself as to Bill. "But I'm not ready for that point to be right now."

"When, then? Do you want to settle on a date, mark our calendars?" Of course Bill had to make light of the situation. So much for having an adult conversation.

Dipper threw an arm up in surrender, "Yeah, sure! Let me just plan all my freaking out and getting over my last disaster of a relationship around it!"

"Your freaking out?" Bill asked, incredulous. "At least feeling like, like this is within your normal emotional range!"

"You'd think that, yeah, but I've never reacted to anyone like this before!" Dipper barely even registered standing up to yell about his feelings. Bill followed suit.

"Neither have I!" he shouted, getting in Dipper's face. His hair was a mess, he was still covered in blood splatter, his eyes shining with restrained power. He was the most gorgeous being Dipper had ever seen.

"Shut up! Your face is so stupid!" Dipper yelled like the mature person he was.

"Your face is more stupider!" Bill shouted back, maturity matched.

"That's grammatically incorrect!

"You're grammatically incorrect!"

"Oh come on!" Dipper felt like ripping his hair out. Why was Bill so frustrating? "In what universe is that a good comeback?"

"Only all of them!"

They glared at each other, panting like they had just ran uphill. Dipper didn't want to be the first to back down. He knew that Bill was unlikely to and they couldn't stand there all day. Or they could, they were both stubborn enough, but it wouldn't solve anything.

Much to Dipper's surprise, Bill huffed, looking away with crossed arms. "Do you really think it'd be so bad?" he asked, quiet like he was hoping Dipper wouldn't hear him.

Tension eased, Dipper gave in a bit, too, shoulders slumping. He ran a hand through his hair, scratching, making his hair messier. "No, Bill. That's just it, I don't think it'd be bad, and that's the problem." He sighed. "I wouldn't be able to keep it casual and I can't get into anything serious right now." He didn't even know if the demon wanted commitment. For all intents and purposes, Bill was his mate now, his instincts kept telling him so, and he knew himself well enough to know that he couldn't sleep with Bill without it meaning anything.

The demon smirked. "So you think I'd be such an amazing lay that you couldn't help but fall in love with me?"

"Yes, that is exactly what I meant," Dipper said, dry as the desert. Trust Bill to trivialize the emotional component sex between mates was supposed to have. Even with William, who Dipper had grown to hate, there had been something, a connection, at first. Who knew what that spark would amount to with Bill. "I doubt we could stay just two dudes with a mutually beneficial arrangement, is what I'm saying." Even as he said it, his reasoning sounded off. Bill picket up on it.

"No, we would still be what you said, we'd just change the terms of that arrangement."

Dipper squeezed the bridge of his nose, "Okay, look. I'm not treating this like another business deal, alright? My answer's still no, so can we please drop this topic?"

"Fine." Bill's eyes flicked towards the bracelet Dipper held in his hand. "Will you at least wear that?"

A relieved smile stole onto Dipper's face, glad that Bill stopped pushing when asked to. "Your sweater does say my name on it, so I think it's only fair." He slipped the bracelet on, running a finger on it. Now that he did, the texture and color reminded him of something. "Is this bone?"

Bill grinned. "Yes!"

"Is it human bone?" Dipper asked again, more hesitant this time.

"Maybe! What even is a human, really?"

So, yes. An unhinged laugh was Dipper's response to that admission. He covered his face with his hand so Bill couldn't see it emoting without permission. "That's kinda morbid," he mumbled past his hand. Bill looked pleased with the whole situation. It was infectious.

* * *

 

That night Dipper slept in the new bed. It wasn't as great as he had thought it would be, there was way too much bed for one person. He kept changing position, trying to find one comfortable enough to fall asleep in. A part of him wished he had invited Bill to sleep with him instead of setting him up in one of the guestrooms. Sleep in the platonic sense, of course. Though, he had never seen the demon sleep and wasn't sure if he did at all. Staring at the ceiling, Dipper wondered about his demon companion. He fell asleep like that.

The dream started like this: hands pushed through the walls like through skin, grabbing at his limbs, tearing at his clothes. He tried to scream but fingers pushed into his mouth, choking him. There was nothing he could do to fight back, body manipulated with strong grips.

Then, cutting through the darkness, a yellow light. The hands crumbled around him and he was free-falling. The light at the end of his fall was triangle shaped.

He woke up. The room was dark, the wall intact and he was lying down. Safe. Eyes sliding shut again, Dipper took a deep breath. Sleep was calling him back. He gave in.

A ray of sunshine coming through a crack in the curtains hit him in the eye. Grunting in annoyance, he turned away from the light source. There was a knock on his door.

"Pine Tree, are you awake?" Bill shouted.

If he hadn't been before, that would have woken him up. He sat up, rubbing his face. "What is it?" he mumbled, hoping that Bill could hear him. It was too early for being loud.

"I was going to make breakfast but there's literally nothing in the fridge!" Bill didn't agree with Dipper's volume preference. Now the whole neighborhood knew about their tragic fridge situation.

"Alright," he shook the rest of the sleep off. "I'll get ready and we'll go to the store." He threw on the first clothes he could find, finger combed his hair and popped the door open. Bill grinned down at him, so chipper in the morning it should be illegal. Dipper pushed past him, absently patting him on the face, and made his way to the bathroom. After being done there, he collected Bill and the car keys. He had had a half a mind to drive William's car into a lake or otherwise wreck it, but that would have been a waste of a good resource. Getting to Gravity Falls would be so much easier with a car.

He glanced over at Bill, getting in next to him. "Seatbelt," Dipper said without thinking. He realized in that moment that he had just assumed that Bill would come with him at the start of the summer but hadn't brought it up with the demon.

"Hey, so, I talked to my sister the other day," he started, busying himself with adjusting the seat. "And I'm thinking about driving over to Gravity Falls when summer vacation starts. Do you, I mean, if you don't have anything else planned?" Dipper asked, then realized the way he worded it didn't make sense.

Bill didn't ask for clarification. "I think that's where our plans coincide." When Dipper looked at him quizzically, his lips curled up and he elaborated, "Gravity Falls has all sort of strange creatures and phenomena, right? I'll fit right in!"

"Right," Dipper frowned, gears starting to turn. Bill was always vague but the explanation didn't add up. Sure, it was probably true, just not the only reason. "Do you know a Stanford Pines?"

"I know lots of people!"

"He mentioned you in his journals, and it wasn't all positive," he explained. Bill's expression remained unchanged. He studied Dipper for a moment, eyes flicking up and down his form. Dipper felt warm.

"And what do you think? Now that you've spent time with me, would you say that he was right?" Bill asked, tilting his head.

"I, uh." Put on the spot, it took Dipper a while to regroup. It was hard to think straight with Bill's undivided attention on him. "I do think you're dangerous but I don't feel in danger," he admitted slowly. "I guess I'm more generally concerned about what you're up to." If him wanting to get away from William ended up hurting people, he would feel awful. Innocent lives shouldn't be on the line because he had made a mistake.

Bill reached over, ran gentle fingers across Dipper's cheek and into his hair. "You have nothing to worry about," he said, voice soft. He leaned forward too fast and the seatbelt caught him before he could get to Dipper. It was a jarring movement, Bill made a strangled noise that got Dipper snickering. He knew that had Bill kissed him, he would have been too distracted to remember his suspicious. He would have just let the topic drop. But now,

"It's not really me I'm worried about."

The demon cursed the seatbelt under his breath, hand leaving Dipper as he sat back. "Listen, Pine Tree, you're getting exactly what you wanted from this arrangement, correct?"

"Well, yeah, but-" he wasn't allowed to finish.

"Soo, it was never a part of the deal that you'd get to know what I do with the body. I guess we could negotiate for that info but the price'll be steep." Bill bared his sharp canines in a grin that served as a reminder that the demon was a conniving asshole at heart. The fact kept slipping Dipper's mind. Bill turned towards him again, leaning in slower this time, far enough into Dipper's space to be thoroughly distracting. "I've never lied to you, Dipper."

"Except through omission," Dipper put in. He felt it, Bill liked that Dipper was a challenge.

"Maybe, but as far as you know, I'm here to play at being human for a while."

Dipper raised a brow. "And what about that unfinished business you mentioned?" It wasn't in Bill's best interest to keep rewarding Dipper for being clever but it didn't look like the demon could help it. Just like Dipper knew that Bill was dangerous and up to something, and possibly evil, but couldn't help but be drawn in.

The demon's eyes flashed and he licked his lips. "Like I said, nothing you need to worry about," he murmured.

"I'm going to find out what you're up to eventually." He felt Bill's breath hit his cheek. "But first," his nose brushed Bill's, "groceries." Hearing the alpha whine as he pulled back to start the car made him smirk. Despite feeling good about the interaction in the moment, he was teasing himself as much as he was teasing Bill.

"You're evil," Bill complained while they pulled out the driveway.

 


	7. Melt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the comments and kudos and such! Keep them coming :D

It wasn't long before Dipper steered into a parking spot in front of a supermarket. They made it across the parking lot, Bill glued to his side. Dipper didn't think anything of it, the demon was more touchy-feely than he was on a good day. "Is there anything in particular you want to get?" he asked once inside and armed with a cart.

"Not really." Bill was distracted, keeping a close eye on everyone they passed, narrowing his eyes at the ones who dared look their way. It was a worrying change in behavior. Bill had been so into food that Dipper had thought he would be excited at the prospect of trying new ones.

"Hey," he nudged Bill with his shoulder. "Are you ok?"

"Absolutely, I'm super ok," Bill rambled, eyes flashing. "I'm gonna light the next skin puppet who looks at your butt on fire."

Understanding the core of the issue, Dipper sighed, "Just put your arm around me or whatever and ignore them." When Bill didn't obey right away, too busy glaring death at random strangers, Dipper pulled an arm around his waist himself. "There, that's a nice possessive gesture, right?" If he had known he would have to deal with Bill coming in contact with the possessive side of alpha nature, he would have left the demon at the house.

Bill fitted Dipper against him so they could both walk behind the cart, and looked down at him, amazed. "I feel a lot less homicidal."

"It's a miracle," Dipper said with a roll of his eyes, throwing a couple things into the cart as they passed. "I should've known that you're the stupidly possessive type." Bill laughed. "What?"

"The possessive type," the demon said. "Get it? Because-"

"Yes, I get it," Dipper interrupted. "It's hilarious."

"Aw, you're in a bad mood again," the demon rested his chin on Dipper's head. He was like a leech, latching onto Dipper and hard to get rid of. Not that he minded, if he had to be honest. He might have been extra grumpy because he was hungry and hadn't had coffee yet, but Bill was nice and warm, a comforting weight.

"Sorry," Dipper mumbled. He knew Bill heard him because the demon was right there.

"It's alright. Let's do this so we can go home and get some food in you," Bill said, petting Dipper's side like the handsy thing he was.

"Sounds good." He adopted a faster pace, forcing Bill to keep up or let go. The demon did the former, his longer legs carrying him forward with little effort. "And you know," Dipper started while weighing the cereal options. "You don't need to worry about, like someone stealing me away. I mean, who'd even want me?" He was damaged goods, he would never let an alpha near him again.

Bill tensed up next to him. "Don't say that."

"It's true, though."

"But you're so smart and warm and you smell good," Bill argued. Dipper felt him breathe in and wrap more around him, and couldn't help but smile at the demon's antics.

"Thanks, but none of that changes the fact that I'm stubborn and difficult and far from the omega ideal." He wasn't, and never would be, an obedient homemaker.

"Whoever told you that just wasn't smart enough to realize how easy you're to bring down with head scratches," the demon stated. This time, Dipper laughed, and Bill grinned against his hair. "Also, a sense of humor goes a long way with you."

Still smiling, Dipper admitted, "That doesn't work coming from just anyone, though." He kept his voice down and was careful not to look at Bill. "I mean that uh, I wouldn't respond to those things so well if you weren't like, really good to me." It was embarrassing to say out loud but he felt like Bill had earned some thanks for putting up with him. "I still think you're up to something but I've been such a snide little shit and you haven't snapped at me once, so."

"You're right about me being amazing but wrong about all those things you believe about yourself."

Dipper turned red. "This is what I'm talking about, you're so nice to me and I don't even, I can't, what," words stopped working. Bill was an obnoxious dickwaffle but sometimes he knew exactly what to say and do to make Dipper feel flustered and cared for. It was unfair.

"Well, if you wanted to thank me, you could always put out more."

And there it was, the flip side of the Bill-coin. Dipper elbowed him in the ribs, still blushing. "I take it all back, you're a pig."

Bill went "uuf" from the elbow but laughed it off after. "You don't mean that."

He didn't. "I so do." He still thought that Bill was pretty great but he regretted letting Bill know that. "You're the worst." He made the demon reach for stuff on high shelves out of spite. Bill didn't look like he minded as long as he got in some clinging action.

* * *

 

That night, Dipper had another nightmare. William was there, saying something to him. Dipper couldn't make out what it was no matter how hard he listened. The looming figure of his former mate was getting angrier by the moment, but he didn't know what to do. He tried to ask what the alpha wanted from him; when he opened his mouth, no sound came out. He tried to turn and run. It was as though his feet were clued to the ground. His only choice was to stand there and take the anger directed at him.

Then, in a flash of light, William started melting. His skin dripped off him, followed by muscles and organs. His eyes rivers down his skeletal cheeks. Dipper screamed, waking himself up.

He stared at the ceiling, wide eyed and breathing hard before getting up. The chances of getting back to sleep were low, and he had a pressing question after seeing William die in such a gruesome manner. He sneaked to the guestroom door, knocking before peering inside. The room was dark but he could just make out Bill lying on his back on top of the covers.

"Bill?" Dipper whispered and the demon turned his glowing eyes on him. "I need to talk to you."

Bill leaned on an elbow to lift his torso up, patting the space next to him. "What's up? You look shaken."

Without bothering with the lights, Dipper made his way over, sitting on the bed. This was a conversation easier had in the dark. "I, uh, had a nightmare."

The demon studied him for a moment, it was unnerving how easy it was for him to go from silly and jovial to calculating. "You poor thing." He began to sooth his free hand up and down Dipper's back. "Must have been pretty bad for you to come to me about it."

"William was in it," Dipper explained. "He sort of, melted."

"Really?" Bill's hand stopped at Dipper's lower back and made its way to his hip. "Come here," he pulled Dipper closer. Dipper would have protested the handling but he wanted the comfort the demon offered.

"What happened to him?" He pressed his back against Bill, staring ahead.

"Well," Bill wrapped his arm around him. "He floated around a bit, bitching at me and demanding to be let back, and then I trapped him somewhere he won't be bothering us again," Bill explained in his usual vague way.

"But he's alive, at least sort of?"

Bill shrugged. "Sort of, yeah." He nudged Dipper to turn so he could direct his glowing eyes on Dipper's human ones, mouth forming a nasty grin. "Unless you'd rather he not be."

Dipper swallowed past his dry tongue. The fact that he would only have to say the word to have William gone forever made him feel powerful. During his life he had had little to no power over what happened to him, and he had had to fight for those scraps tooth and nail, and here he was, offered the power to get revenge. It was heavy and exhilarating.  

Bill saw it on Dipper's face, grin stretching wider. "It'll be easy for me, and all you have to do is to say the word," he said as Dipper leaned closer to hear him better, drawn in by the glow. "You can watch if you want."

It was tempting but his head kept playing his nightmare on repeat, reminding him of the state of his psyche. He shouldn't make a decision like this late at night, staring into the eyes of a demon. "I don't," he licked his dry lips. "I don't think that's a decision I should be making right now."

"And why is that?"

He rested his hand on Bill's shoulder for support. "I'm not of a sound mind," he admitted. "I want to get back at him but I'm not sure that he deserves to die."

Bill got comfortable, head leaned against the pillow again, guiding Dipper's to rest on his chest. "What then? How'd you punish him?"

Giving it some thought, Dipper let himself relax, closing his eyes at Bill's fingers in his hair. "Let him stay trapped for the time being, the way he tried to trap me in this house and under his heel. Maybe he'll learn his lesson in a hundred years or so." He felt more than heard Bill chuckle.

"I like the way your mind works." Bill kept up the gentle scratching, lulling Dipper to sleep.

* * *

 

Waking up was a slow process. First, he registered that he was warm and safe and in no hurry to get up. The warmth was pressed against his front, wrapped around his torso and legs. His back was to a solid surface, nose buried in the form in front of him. It smelled nice and familiar. He snuffled around a bit to locate the spot where the scent was strongest, breathing in with a pleased hum once there. The warmth shifted, scratching at his head, working through tangles in his hair. A purr started as a low rumble, vibrating his chest. Everything was amazing. He never wanted to move again.

"Are you awake?" came a question somewhere near his ear. The only reply he managed was a louder purr when the fingers in his hair found a particularly good spot. "I thought not," the voice said with a chuckle. "You're never this sweet when you're fully cognizant."

Those were some words for him to process. He dragged himself to full wakefulness, to snap at whatever was making him think when he wanted to wallow in bliss. "Shut up," he muttered.

"There you are," the voice, Bill, said. "Cranky and ready to bite my head off first thing in the morning." He sounded fond. The comment made Dipper smile a little, unable to muster up any real anger. Where he now noticed that Bill was wrapped around him, so was he wrapped around Bill, face in his neck to breathe him in.

"I'm in a perfect position to do that, too," Dipper pointed out, giving the skin in front of him a tiny nip. Bill's arms around him tightened, his hand stilled. The reaction made Dipper tense up. He hadn't meant anything by it, just to tease a bit, nothing else, but he could see how the gesture might be misunderstood as sexual or as a power move. "Um, I just," he tried to pull away but the wall at his back didn't let him.

Bill scooted back enough for them to look each other in the eye.

"I shouldn't have done that," Dipper blurted out. "I made it weird, I'm sorry."  

"Don't worry about it." Bill hid his disappointment behind a lewd grin and an eyebrow wiggle, "I'll be your chew toy any time, baby."

Dipper crunched up his nose. "Now you're making it weird."

The demon approached still moving his brows, "I'll even squeak for you, what do you-" He would have went on but Dipper pushed him away with a palm in his face.

Laughing under his breath, Dipper protested, "Get away from me, you creep." Bill licked his hand in retaliation and he pulled it back. "Ew, no," he squealed. "You don't know where that's been!"

"Probably on me somewhere, you turn into an octopus when you sleep," Bill was enjoying the situation way too much. "Limbs all over, latching onto me. You're so angry awake but you're this soft, cuddly thing when you sleep, all purrs and snuggles, Such a cutie."

Dipper pushed himself up, untangling the best he could, blushing. "Lies and slander, I don't have to stay here and take this abuse." He turned his nose up at Bill who just laughed at him. "I'm gonna go shower," he declared, getting of the bed.

"I can come wash your back," Bill offered, grin growing more and more towards shit-eating.

"I don't think so," Dipper glared but it was all for show.

"Aw, but darling," Bill protested without making a move to get up. "I really wanna."

"You should've thought of that before you accused me of being cute," with that, Dipper turned on his heel to march out. He was glad that Bill couldn't see his face and the insistent smile there.


	8. Falling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a cliffhanger of sorts but I think you all can guess what comes next ;) Thank you for the feedback, keep it up!

With the weather cleared up, Dipper started to feel the call to adventure. The local forest didn't have anything as exciting as Gravity Falls did but there were a couple spots he liked. He could hike to one of them and have lunch outside. Bill wasn't thrilled with the idea but he didn't try to stop Dipper from going.

"I'll be back before dark at the latest," he told the demon lazing on the couch, watching TV. "Don't destroy the house."

"So everything else's fair game?" Bill grinned at Dipper's eye roll.

"If I come back to the neighborhood on fire, I'll be very disappointed in you," he gave a mock stern look. Bill just looked like he thought Dipper was cute for trying. It toed the line between fond and condescending in a way that made Dipper want to get going. He wasn't sure how to handle the fond part and the rest of it made him annoyed.

"I wouldn't want that," Bill drawled, and if Dipper stayed long enough to take him in, relaxed and open, he would climb on the demon's lap and never leave. After they had shared a bed, Dipper's body had been increasingly stupid when it came to the alpha. Being close to him had felt so good.

"I'm leaving now bye!" Dipper yelled while hightailing it out the backdoor and across the yard. It wasn't his most graceful exit but it did its job, which was to get away from Bill so he could think rationally.

The hike helped clear his head. Out in the woods, he was man enough to admit that maybe he was over-complicating things for himself. He liked Bill, being attracted to someone he liked wasn't a bad thing. Becoming attached to someone whose motives he didn't understand could backfire on him, though.What if Bill was just using him for shelter and a warm body while setting his plan in motion? Dipper could grow more fond of him, only to have Bill leave him to pursue his true goals.

Something didn't click with his grim prediction. It was in the way he would catch Bill looking conflicted or taken aback by his own reactions. Bill might have a sinister plan cooking but the more Dipper thought about it, the more it seemed like getting so close to Dipper hadn't been a part of it.

The forest went unappreciated before he reached his destination. It was a patch of rocky terrain with a stream running through. When the light hit the small clearing right, he could swear that this forest was magical, too. He dug out his lunch sandwich and bit into it while exploring the rocks.

Too caught up with eating and his thoughts, he wasn't careful enough navigating the wet stone. His foot slipped and before he knew it, he was falling. He braced with his arms, trying to protect his face from the impact. Prepared for pain, he didn't expect for his fall to slow down as though some invisible force was lowering him onto the ground. He lied on his front in confusion, eyes closed, moisture seeping through his clothes.

The bracelet on his wrist felt warm. He hadn't taken it off once since Bill had given it to him. If anyone asked, he had forgotten that it was there. In the privacy of his own mind, he could confess that he had kept it on because it was a gift from his mate. It was sentimental and stupid, and he was too, for lying on the cold ground smiling at a piece of jewelry. It glowed softly in a hue of blue that made him think of Bill.

It had been such a long time since anyone, outside his family, had taken care of him. Bill was an idiot for trying to pass up the bracelet as a random trinket. He felt so fond in a way he hadn't in a long time and for once it didn't scare him. What kind of a gift was protection magic to give to someone whose well-being you didn't care about?

He got up, still giddy. He had lost his sandwich somewhere during the fall but he didn't care about that. He wanted to get back to the house, back to Bill. He didn't think he had ever thanked Bill for the gift, he had been so rude.

He spent his walk back testing the bracelet. If he was careless and tripped, it activated, but if he threw himself on the ground, it didn't. By the time he got to the backyard, he was a mess of mud and leaves. Bill was standing by the door, taking in his forest troll aesthetic with a raised eyebrow.

"What happened to you? You look like you fought nature and lost," Bill said, once Dipper came to a stop in front of him.

"I fell," Dipper stated. Bill glanced at his wrist and he knew that the demon knew. He took another step forward and rose on his toes to lay his lips on Bill's before he lost his nerve. It was chaste and over in a second but it left his mouth tingling. "Um," he said, flushed and shy. "I just uh, thank you."

Bill blinked at him, licked his lips, and smirked. "By the look of things," he flicked a leaf off Dipper's head, "you fell more than once, so I think you owe me a couple more thank yous," he said, ever the opportunist.

Dipper didn't bother explaining that the thank you was for the bracelet, not the individual saves, and pulled Bill down by the front of his shirt so his mouth was easier to reach and pressed his own to it. He stayed longer before pulling back. Bill followed with a whine and Dipper smiled, brushing their lips together. "That's it. Two falls."

"It was at least three," Bill argued.

"I was there and I counted two, so." It had been five but two of them had been him flinging himself at the ground so they didn't count.

"Alright, but consider this," the demon placed his hands on Dipper's hips and pulled him flush against him. "I really want to kiss you."

"I will take that into consideration," Dipper said with as steady a voice as he was able. He wasn't at all opposed to the idea. The reason he had stopped at two was so the situation wouldn't get out of hand. Not that he had any control to begin with.

"Dipper," the demon besought, "One more." He was right there, with a firm hold on Dipper, and he could have just taken what he wanted, Dipper didn't have the strength of body or mind to stop him. But he didn't, so Dipper gave it to him. He let Bill taste him as thoroughly as he pleased, making little needy noises he would have time to be embarrassed about later. Right then he was too busy feeling good. Through the bond, he sensed that Bill felt good, too, and it buoyed him up even higher. His alpha was so pleased with him.

When Bill moved from his mouth to his neck, Dipper bared his throat. It felt natural, he was so sensitive there. Bill's hands had started to wander, one under his hoodie, the other down his thigh. Dipper remembered that he had hands, too, and used them to wrap around Bill's neck so he could press against him easier. Then, after nosing aside the collar of Dipper's shirt, Bill stopped. It took Dipper a while to assess the situation and realize that it was the side his mark was on. Bill held the fabric to the side, staring at the scar.

Dipper nudged his cheek with his nose. "What is it? Why'd you stop?"

"It's strange," Bill started, running a finger over the scar tissue. "This body left this mark but it's not mine."

"I don't like it either," Dipper said. "I swear the second time he almost bit a piece right off." There had been so much blood. He loosened his grip to a much less desperate hold so he could look Bill on the face. "Do you want it to be yours?" he asked without thinking about the implications. He didn't know what he wanted to hear.

Bill looked conflicted before his face broke into a grin, letting out an unhinged laugh. "You make me feel so strange, I don't know what I want from you." His wild eyes pleaded with Dipper to have an answer, but they were in the same boat, tossed by the same currents. "You have no business effecting me like this."

" _I'm_ effecting _you_?" Dipper asked, affronted. Like any of this was his fault, even though it sort of was. "Where do you get off treating me like you give a shit about my well-being? Making me feel cared for and like I actually want you around."

"Yeah? That wouldn't be a problem if you didn't traipse around all argumentative and tempting, this stupid body screaming at me that you're mine. It's driving me insane!" Bill's grip on him grew tighter. It didn't hurt but Dipper wouldn't be going anywhere.

"Well guess what, asshole? We're technically mated, so, again technically, I am yours!" Somewhere during yelling at Bill's face, he had lost track of why they were arguing while holding each other on the patio but he wasn't about to back down.

A deep, possessive growl erupted from Bill and Dipper snarled back at him. Bill was the first to break eye contact, it eased the fight in Dipper to know that he had some power in the situation. Bill had his demonic powers on top of his alpha strength, the demon could fling him around like a rag doll, but it didn't look like Bill was interested in a fight.

"I can't bring myself to hurt you," Bill confessed, not quite looking at Dipper. The way he phrased it made it sound like he had tried and failed at some point. Dipper was scared to ask. A gust of wind made him shiver and reminded him that he was covered in mud and wet leaves.

"We should take this indoors, I need to change."

Bill backed up into the house before letting Dipper go. He felt Bill's gaze on his back as he made his way to the bedroom and closed the door behind him. He leaned against it, bringing a hand to his mouth. He felt like he had gotten his first kiss again, along with a confession. It wasn't love, but they did have some unnamed mystery feelings for each other. And the combined emotional maturity of a toddler because the only way they talked about feelings, was by having an argument about them.

He dug out some clean clothes and went to the bathroom. Looking into the mirror, he noticed some dirt on his face and hair so he stripped off his muddied clothes and washed enough to be presentable. He stopped to poke at the scar, it stood out like a battle wound where neck met shoulder. You weren't supposed to mark anyone twice, especially against their will. The struggle might have made the mark worse. The whole incident had been what had cemented the idea of getting rid of William. It had been the final nail to the coffin of their relationship but also the catalyst that led him to meet Bill.

Who he had basically asked if he wanted to mate him. Dipper buried his face in a towel. It wasn't a rabbit hole he wanted to fall in but if Bill marked him? What if the answer to his question about whether or Bill wanted it to be his mark was a yes? The thought sent warmth to his core.

He knew that due to emotions running high and the season, he wasn't in prime decision making condition but he couldn't, in that moment, think of a good reason why he shouldn't sleep with Bill. He had been worried about developing feelings for him but that had happened already. The damage was done, he had fallen while he hadn't been looking. All the signs pointed towards Bill having gone down with him. He was just making things more complicated than they needed to be, as usual.

Taking a final look in the mirror, he determined that he wasn't anything special but Bill was into him, so whatever. He couldn't remember the last time he had tried to seduce anyone, and the idea made him nervous. This was Bill, though. He could probably walk up to him and ask if he wanted some fuck and the demon would be seduced. The thought eased his nerves.


	9. here there be smut

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They do the do. This chapter can be skipped as nothing too plot relevant happens. I hope it doesn't suck, I don't write a lot of porn.

A knock on the bedroom door startled him. "Pine Tree?" came Bill's voice. "You've been in there forever, I thought you wanted to have a boring conversation!"

After a slow breath in and out, he padded to the door, still in his underwear. Bill was standing behind it with his fist raised like he was about to knock again. He froze, eyes widening as he took Dipper in, gaze roaming and turning from surprised to hungry. It gave Dipper the confidence boost he needed to smile up at the alpha, looking at him from under his lashes.

"We can have that conversation," he said, stepping close enough to grab Bill by the belt loops. "Or you could come over here." He pulled, walking backwards, and Bill followed. The demon looked like he had trouble forming words, opening his mouth, licking his lips, closing it again. Dipper had expected him to jump at the chance but while Bill was looking at him like he was the only thing worth looking at, the demon hadn't made a move to touch him.

Dipper frowned, stopping their journey towards the bed. "Is there something wrong? It's okay if you don't want to." It would be a blow on his ego but he could deal.

It took Bill a while to find his words but when he did, they were accompanied by a small growl, "I want to."

"Good." Dipper pivoted them around so that Bill had his back to the bed, his calves touching the mattress. The growl had pushed Dipper's body further, a bit of slick trailing out. From the way Bill's pants tented, he wasn't too far behind. "You can touch me, you know." he said, voice pitched lower than he had heard it in a long time. He was having trouble remembering the last time he had had sex purely because he wanted to, and not because he felt like he needed to bargain his body for a moment of peace or to avoid an angry fit.

Bill started at his waist, working up to thumb a nipple, making Dipper shiver. He was so sensitive everywhere, leaning into the touch. They hadn't even done anything and he was so keyed up, leaking and ready. It was his fault for putting it off as long as he had. When Bill's hands made their way back to slip down his soaked underwear, he sighed with relief.

"You need less clothes," Dipper whispered, fingers going from Bill's belt loops to the bottom of his sweater.

"I don't know about that," Bill spoke against his ear, nipping it a bit. "The way I figure, I just need to get my dick out."

Dipper had to admit that he liked the idea, but, "If you ruin this one, too, you're going to have to apologize to Mabel."

"Oh yes, sorry Mabel I got some blood on one of your sweaters and your brother came all over the second one."

A laugh forced its way out. "No, you'll have to think of an excuse. Also let's stop talking about my sister."

"You're the one who brought her up," Bill pointed out but stripped off the sweater and threw it to the side despite all his sass. Dipper took a moment to admire him. It was strange, but the body looked better when Bill wore it.

"Sit," Dipper requested and Bill obeyed, his Adam's apple moving as he swallowed, his eyes trying to look at all of Dipper at once. It made Dipper feel in control, powerful. He had never felt like that during sex, and he liked it. He straddled Bill, knee on each side of his hips. Bill's hands went to his thighs. It was good, he just wanted Bill to touch him, craving the contact. His erection brushed against Bill's front. They both moaned.

"Dipper," Bill breathed, pulling his close, fingers making indents on the skin. "I want you so badly."

Dipper placed the fingers of one hand on his chest and pushed, "You'll have me soon enough." Bill went down, eyes shining with a sense of wonder, lips parted. He was on his back, looking up at Dipper, nostrils flaring as he devoured the image of the omega on top of him.

"You smell really good," Bill said like he was surprised by it, by his own reactions to having Dipper there and naked.

Dipper smiled, "It's the arousal." He leaned in, right under Bill's ear to breathe him in, feeling himself growing wetter. "You're not too bad yourself." Bill's fingers trailed past his hips and beyond to where he was slick. He keened at the digits inside of him, two at once, and was jolted as Bill bucked underneath him. The alpha's fingers reached deeper inside than Dipper's own would have but he knew from experience that he could do without. It would hurt but the discomfort would be temporary. He would rather not think about why he knew that right then. With Bill seeking out all his hidden weak points, it was easy to forget and enjoy the now. He panted in Bill's ear, pressing back on his hand. "Ah!"

"You're dripping," Bill growled, adding a finger. "Is this for me?"

"Yes, yes," Dipper moaned. "I want you inside me."

"Let me, will you let me," Bill sounded like he was losing the plot. "Let me knot you."

"I think I m-might die if you don't," Dipper managed, raising up to a sitting position. He reached for Bill's pants, scooting up a little and the demon retracted his fingers. He helped Dipper get his pants down enough to free his cock. Grasping it, Dipper guided the head to his entrance, praised his other hand on Bill's chest for balance. Gravity helped him lower onto it slowly. There was pressure but no pain, and once his hips rested on Bill's, he gave himself a moment to adjust. Bill was breathing hard, fingers digging into Dipper's hips and thighs. The position didn't give the alpha much leverage to move, leaving Dipper to set the pace. He gave an experimental roll, feeling full in the way his body craved.

He lifted up a bit and lowered back down, slow and careful, searching for the right angle. Bill tried to urge him on with his hands, hips giving helpless little twitches to move into Dipper. He was a sight, pupils blown, hair a tousled mess, whines forcing their way out of his mouth. Dipper smiled down at him, petting his abdomen. "You're, mmh, doing so well," he praised, enjoying the steady brush against his sweet spot.

Bill bared his teeth, "Move."

Power-drunk and pleased with the position, Dipper grinned, "I am moving." He kept up his minimal movements, savoring the friction up to the point he couldn't take it anymore. He lifted up until just the head was inside, let gravity take him down. Bill helped him move with a hard grip on his buttocks. It was going to leave bruises but he didn't care in the moment, too busy calling out his pleasure.

"Bill, ah, I'm!" The position strained his knees but he couldn't slow down now, not when he was teetering at the edge. "So close, please, please," he didn't know what he was asking, just that he wanted it. When the first hint of a forming knot caught on his rim, he was gone. His back arched, head falling back to expose his throat in surrender. The orgasm robbed him of his coordination, relaxing him, but he didn't have the knot yet. He couldn't leave the alpha who had made him feel so amazing hanging. "I can't, Bill, please."

He heard a growl as their positions were reversed and found himself flipped on his front, hands holding his hips up. He had a second of feeling empty before Bill thrust into him, the strength of it forcing a whine out. He was so sensitive but he wanted it so much, wanted to be filled and tied. Sobbing for it, he clawed the sheets until finally, he felt it swell into place. Bill filled him while chanting his name.

With Bill resting against his back, mouthing at his neck, he was able to relax. He sighed in contentment, Bill turning them both to lie on their sides, stuck together for the time being. A purr rumbled out of him, louder than he had heard before.

Bill chuckled, "Feeling good?"

Dipper hummed in response.

"You feel amazing," Bill continued. "I didn't know you'd have such a take-charge attitude."

Trust Bill to feel chatty when all Dipper wanted to do was bask in the warmth and feel-good chemicals he provided. "You liked it, though."

Bill petted his side. "Can't deny that. I'm really into how you just go for what you want, especially if what you want is my dick."

Dipper swatted at him, laughing, too languid to get annoyed. "You're awful."

"Yeah, but you like it."

Turning his head to look at Bill, Dipper reached to brush a lock at hair away from his eyes, tender. "I do." He opened his lips when Bill kissed him, deep and slow. The angle made it so they couldn't keep it up for long without straining their necks. When they parted, he felt the loss. They were as close as two people could be but he wanted to be closer. He was far too gone.

They stayed like that until the knot went down. Bill pulled away from him to roll on his back, and Dipper was left feeling cold and gross. He got up, turned to Bill. The demon looked thoughtful, frowning at the ceiling. Dipper got the feeling that he needed a moment, so instead of bugging Bill, he went to the bathroom to clean up and to get Bill a washcloth. Taking his time with the cleanup, Dipper struggled to think. Sex had silenced the part of him that insisted he procreate right now, which was a relief even if it would only last so long. It had also strengthened the part that wanted to be closer to his mate. He was more concerned with cuddling up to Bill to rest before the next round than anything else. But he had other things to do. He couldn't remember what those things were but he was sure there was something.

He went back to Bill, climbing in the bed to give him a wipe-down, too. Once done, he threw the cloth aside and curled up against the alpha.

"So, Pine Tree," Bill started after a moment of silence. "Just out of curiosity: was this a one off?"

Dipper moved to partially lie on Bill, resting his chin on the demon's chest to better look at him. "Not unless you want it to be." He didn't know how he would deal with it being an experiment. If Bill had just wanted to try it and was now done with him. "Why?"

Bill shrugged, "No reason." He draped his arm around Dipper to stroke his back, pressing down on places he found tension. Dipper melted, too satisfied to argue that no one asked a question like that for no reason. Bill laughed, "You're so docile." He massaged Dipper's lower back. "I was sure you'd get your curious little mitts all over that."

"Lemme get back to you." Dipper's eyes drooped. He could continue his line of questioning once he had had a nap.

"At least now I know how to deal with you when you get question-y on me."

"But I'm all about being question-y."

"Guess I'll have to start being all about going to town on your ass."

It was a testament to how relaxed and sleepy he was that his response was to start giggling uncontrollably. It wasn't even that funny, he just couldn't help it.

"You're adorable like this, I can't deal." Bill squeezed him, turning to his side so he could get to Dipper with both arms.

"Not adorable," Dipper wheezed, coming down from his giggle fit.

"The adorablest," Bill argued.

"No."

"Yes."


	10. The Morning After

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go again! Enjoy the fluff, leave a comment, and all that. This chapter was beta read by Oilux.

The dream started with him in the woods. They were dark and stretched farther than he could see. It was the type of setting where monsters jumped out at you from the shadows. Feeling unsettled, Dipper looked around, waiting to hear the slightest sound that could signal danger. What he got instead was Bill popping up in his original form, a glowing triangle with a top hat. He was larger than Dipper remembered him from their first meeting.

"Hey there, Pine Tree," Bill said, his unblinking stare on Dipper.

"Hi," Dipper replied, unsure what to make of the sudden appearance. "Are you actually here? Or did I make you up?"

Bill smiled with his eye, circling Dipper, "You can believe whatever you want!" He stopped in front of the human and gripped his chin between his forefinger and thumb, turning Dipper's head this way and that. "I just wanted to test something."

Dipper took hold of the demon's arm. "Test what?" He didn't appreciate the way he was being studied, like he was an interesting object.

"Don't worry about it!"

"You know every time you say that, it just makes me worry more, right?"

"Hush now," Bill pressed his thumb against Dipper's lips to silence him. It didn't feel like anything. Bill hovered in close, staring. Dipper couldn't read him like this, there was no body language he could recognize. He didn't think he was in danger, but the situation made him uneasy. If this was his subconscious, it came up with some weird things.

"Well, this might be a problem," Bill mused before letting go and blinking out of existence. Dipper was left in the forest alone, surrounded by trees. It was too quiet to be normal, the air was still. It was eerie and reminded him of the night he had first met Bill.

It occurred to him that he shouldn't be able to see in the dark. He didn't have a flashlight or a candle, but a faint glow lit the trees around him. He looked down at his hands and noticed the bracelet. It was glowing.

* * *

He woke up to Bill petting his hair. The demon's eyes glowed softly in the morning light, leaving him hypnotized. Their scents had mingled and now it was difficult to tell them apart. It pleased a primal part of him to smell like his alpha, and when Bill leaned in to kiss his mouth, he gave into it, making soft sounds, pressing closer. There was a nagging feeling in the back of his brain that he needed to be more concerned about something, but he couldn't focus on anything besides Bill and how good he made him feel.

When Bill moved to his neck, his hips gave a little twitch. The demon felt it with how close they were, a puff of air accompanied his quiet laugh. "Someone's needy. And here I was starting to think you only wanted me for my personality."

"Why would you assume that?" Dipper asked, moving from offering his throat to look Bill in the eye. "Your personality is the worst part of you." He didn't mean it and to his relief Bill seemed to know he was just giving him shit because that's how he rolled.

"That so?" The demon let his hand wander, along Dipper's throat, down his side. "Then what's the best part?"

"Hmm," Dipper pretended to think. He drew a circle in a random part of Bill's shoulder, "This one." It was nice shoulder, the muscle shifting with Bill. Dipper nuzzled against it. "You know my hesitation wasn't about you," he pulled back, getting serious. "With William, it was." He stopped, looking away. What he had done with Bill, taking charge, would have never been deemed as acceptable behaviour for an omega. His role had been to take what he was given. If he didn't like it, too bad, the end goal hadn't been enjoyment, it had been about getting him pregnant. "Sex was always very goal oriented."

Bill didn't say anything for once, like he knew that Dipper just wanted someone to listen.

"Sometimes I think," he looked away, "that if I was more of a typical omega and into the whole homemaking and baby-having thing, we could have worked out." Dipper traced Bill's collarbone, distracting himself. "Like maybe the problem wasn't him." He chanced a glanced at Bill but the demon was looking off into the distance, frowning. "I thought he'd be okay with me being how I am, I mean he seemed pretty understanding when I told him about my goals and about how I didn't want kids. But that was- he wasn't, I," he paused to breathe. Talking about it was hard but he needed to get it out. "I was really stupid about the whole thing, and I guess what I'm saying is that I didn't want to be stupid about this and rush into something that'd hurt me again."

"I'm not planning to hurt you," Bill said, once it was clear that Dipper was done talking.

Dipper smiled, "The funny thing about that is that I believe you." He leaned in for a kiss but his stomach chose that moment to remind him that he hadn't eaten after taking a couple bites of his lunch the previous day.

Bill grinned, "Sounds like we need to get food in you." He rolled over Dipper to get off the bed, landing on the floor to search for pants. He found a pair and pulled them on, turning to Dipper who was a little dazed by the turn of events. "You can stay naked if you want but you'll have to come with me." His eyes roved over Dipper's body, leering.

Sitting up, Dipper rolled his eyes, "Fine, give me something to wear." The sweater Bill had been wearing hit him in the face. It was big on him, reaching about mid thigh when he stood up, the sleeves covering his hands. It smelled like Bill and he had to resist the urge to bury his face on the collar. He couldn't do it in front of Bill, the demon had an inflated ego as it was. He noticed how Bill was looking at him still, like the clothing had added to his appeal. "You like me in this?"

"In just that, specifically."

Dipper gave him a heated look of his own. "Is it how it makes me smell more like you or the easy access?"

Bill didn't miss a beat but his ears went pink. "A little bit of column A, a little bit if column B."

An insistent growl came from his stomach again, reminding them that their objective was to leave the bedroom. Dipper walked to the door and down the hallway, Bill on his heels. The demon stuck close by while Dipper made coffee, distracting him from the process. It was a good thing he could do it on autopilot. He shooed Bill off, more embarrassed by his own reactions than annoyed. "Make us some toast or something, stop hovering." The casual affection and domesticity got him feeling warm and more open to Bill's advances. There was something nice about preparing food together that got to him.

Bill grinned at him like he knew what was up, but got the bread out and put it in the toaster. He kept shooting Dipper looks while making the table that the omega tried to ignore. There was only so much time he could spend by the coffeemaker before he started looking suspicious and he was forced to join Bill at the table to wait.

"So, how about-" Bill started but Dipper stopped him right there.

"We're not having sex in the kitchen, we eat here."

"But you were thinking it, too," Bill pointed out, leaning forward in his seat to better eye Dipper. The toast popped at that moment, saving him from having to discuss it further. He went to grab it and two mugs of coffee, determined to change the subject before Bill could talk him into anything.

"I had this dream last night," Dipper opened with, buttering his toast. "You were in it."

Bill didn't look bothered. "Was it dirty?" He wiggled his eyebrows while sipping coffee.

"No, you said you wanted to test something but then just never explained what that something was."

"Maybe you shouldn't worry about it," Bill suggested, slipping one of his slices on Dipper's plate.

Dipper frowned at it. "That's what you said in the dream, too." His eyes shifted between Bill and the toast, suspicious. "You're some kind of a mind demon, right? Can you influence dreams?" If last night was Bill's doing, maybe the other times his dreams had had yellow lights or triangles were, too.

"Yes and yes. Eat your toast before you waste away," Bill urged, not looking like he wanted to elaborate on his answer. It was typical of him, and Dipper hadn't expected a straight answer, but the feeding behavior caught him off guard. It wasn't the first time, there had been the pancake incident. He wasn't that bad at taking care of himself, was he?

Then he remembered that his eating and sleeping schedule was awful, and ate the toast without protest. Bill looked pleased. "Do you need more?" Dipper asked, gesturing with the bread. "I can make some if you're still hungry."

"Nah, I've got it." Bill drained the last of his coffee and got up to get more. "Coffee?" he held the pot up.

"Yes, please." He stared as Bill got more slices of bread to toast, feeling flustered about being taken care of. His face was warm, he squirmed a little when Bill poured him another mugful. There was no way the demon didn't notice. "Um, thanks," he mumbled, looking down. "You're being really nice to me."

"Maybe you can be nice to me later," Bill threw over his shoulder while he was getting the toast. "If you catch my drift," he continued. It was unnecessary, Dipper knew what he had meant, how could he not when it was the direction his mind was trying to take things, too. It was going to be an unproductive day.

He took the piece of toast from Bill, "If you're looking to exchange food for sexual favors, toast is worth like a kiss, and not even on the mouth, I'm talking on the forehead or something," he joked, biting into it.

"I gotta up my game, get you some real gourmet stuff." Bill went back into his seat and to his coffee, starting on his food once he saw Dipper eating. "I think the coffee should make those kisses on the cheek at least."

Dipper tapped a finger in his chin in mock thought, "Hmm, maybe. Throw some eggs in there and I'll even upgrade them to the on the lips variety." Now that he had gotten into the swing of eating, he registered just how hungry he was. He could go for a more substantial breakfast, especially if Bill made it. The demon was good at simple breakfast foods.

"You've got yourself a deal." Bill got to it, taking out a pan and a couple of eggs. Dipper sat back, drinking his coffee, and let his alpha see to his needs. It was hard not to feel satisfied with his situation after getting laid and having food brought to him.

After a while, he got tired of watching, Bill was too far away. He got up, padded over to his mate, pressing against his back and wrapping his arms around him. Pressing his nose to the nape of Bill's neck, breathing in, and finding some of his own scent there was a rush.

"Couldn't stay away, huh?" Bill commented. He made no move to get Dipper to let go, even leaned back a little, so Dipper took it to mean that being close was something they both enjoyed. Which was good because he was addicted. "I'm almost done here. Want more toast with these?"

"No, just the eggs, and you." Dipper kissed his back.

Bill laughed, shaking both of them. "Well, I am a part of a balanced breakfast."


	11. Getting There

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! It's a new chapter. Beta'd by Oilux.

A few days later, when his urges started to let up, Dipper found himself snuggling up to Bill on the couch. A movie was playing but he wasn't paying attention, too busy worrying about the upcoming trip.

"I think we should leave for Gravity Falls in a couple of days," he said to Bill who hummed and petted his side in response. "Mabel's break will start soon and I kinda want to get there before she does."

"Why's that?"

"Just to have a day or so to adjust before she hits me like a human hurricane," Dipper explained. They hadn't seen each other in a long time, and he was excited to be reunited, but he wanted to get a moment of peace in the place that was more of childhood home than his actual childhood home was. To gather his strength before the inevitable interrogation. "On another topic, what have you been doing about William's job?" William had worked from home and the lack of phone calls and people knocking on his door told him that Bill was keeping up appearances.

"I've been doing it," Bill said, hand traveling to Dipper's hip.

"Just like that?"

"It's not like it's hard."

"Right. Can you get time off?"

Bill shrugged, jostling Dipper, "Probably."

"I think we should leave early on Sunday, that way we'll get there on Monday when it's less busy," Dipper reasoned. It was a long drive, they would need to stop for sleep. Not that long ago, Dipper would have been hesitant to spend so much time with Bill in such close quarters, but now he was looking forward to it. There could be no funny business in the car while he was driving, but maybe at the motel. He smiled at his thoughts. It was possible that his libido hadn't settled down yet.

Bill noticed. "What's going on in that head of yours, huh?" He poked Dipper on the forehead, grinning a bit, too.

"Oh, nothing," Dipper replied, failing to be convincing.

"See, for some reason I don't believe you." Bill turned more towards him, a finger slipping inside the waist of his pants. "You can tell me, you know I'm probably up for it."

It was true. Bill had been enthusiastic about Dipper's suggestions so far. "Just thinking about motel rooms."

"Are these naughty motel room thoughts?"

"They might be." Realistically, they could be too tired from the day's drive to do anything once they made it past the halfway point. Or he would be, it was hard to tire Bill out. Before he could think more about Bill and his insane stamina, it was time for a change of topic again. "But hey, about me applying to school, you need to fill out some forms and do like an assessment thing."

Bill's face fell. "Aw, Pine Tree, you can't just bring up sexy motel escapades and then switch to boring school talk," he complained.

"I think you'll notice that I just did," Dipper countered. "It's not a big deal, you'll need to check some boxes and write about how I'm suitable for the school environment." All the hoops he had to jump through to get a higher education that didn't center around child rearing or cooking were ridiculous. "Sign my application to show them that you consent to me going to school, and pay to have that processed by the omega education board."

"Jeez, that's almost as much work as applying to go myself."

"I know it's dumb but that's what you agreed to do in exchange for me not telling anyone that you're around," Dipper reminded.

With a sigh, Bill agreed, "I guess I'll get to it now, then." He untangled himself from Dipper to get up and go to the office. Dipper followed him to show where everything was and to make sure he did it.

* * *

 

They spent the next day packing. Dipper did most of it, throwing clothes into a bag on their bed while Bill bothered him.

"So who else's going to be there, besides us and your sister?" Bill asked.

"Just Soos and a bunch of tourists at first," Dipper replied, pausing to think about what else they needed aside from clothes, their phones, his laptop. Maybe some hygiene stuff? "Then Mabel will show up, and then later my great uncles. Can you grab some soap and shampoo and like a toothbrush from the bathroom?"

Bill did as asked, bringing with him a bunch of stuff that Dipper started to sort through. He hadn't known they owned more than one bottle of shampoo. "Anyway, they travel a lot but Mabel must have told them that I'd be there this summer so they should show up." There was exactly one toothbrush in the pile. He had said to bring 'a toothbrush' so he had himself to blame. Bill grinned when Dipper looked up at him.

"We can share!"

Dipper crunched up his nose, "Gross." Going to the bathroom to get one himself, he grabbed a couple towels from the rack, too. "Do you think we should bring some sheets, too?" he asked on his way back. Mabel had done the packing for their trips, he had no idea it took this much planning.

"I think you're worrying about this too much." Bill came over and took the towels and the toothbrush from him, and threw them in with the rest of their stuff. Moving behind Dipper, he laid his hands on his shoulders and pressed in with his thumbs. "You're so tense. If we forget something, we can just buy a new one." He found the worst knots and began to work on them. Dipper lowered his head, closing his eyes. He was tense, packing stressed him out and so did the knowledge that he would have to lie to his family about Bill. He was excited to see everyone but the less they brought up William the better.

"Lie down," Bill instructed, guiding Dipper towards the bed. He swiped away some of the bath products to make room. Dipper lied on his stomach, trying his best to relax.

"We need to pack some snacks for the drive and make sure we leave nothing to spoil while we're gone," Dipper said over his shoulder before Bill started.

"I'll take care of it," Bill promised, sinking his fingers into Dipper's tense muscles. He was firm and some of the spots were more painful than others, but bit by bit, Dipper's tension started melting away, leaving him a relaxed puddle on the bed. A purr rumbled out of him. It was so easy for Bill to coax out the sound. He couldn't remember a time when he had purred so often.

"That's it, just relax," Bill said, softening his ministrations and letting his hands linger. Dipper's eyelids felt heavy, drooping as he looked at Bill hovering above him. "Sleepy?" the demon asked.

"Nap with me?"

"In a bit, I'll do the things you were stressing over and come back to you." Bill pat him on the butt and left the room. Dipper wrapped his arms around a pillow, snuggling into it. He was shaken awake when Bill joined him, curling around him in a way that made Dipper feel safe. With a sigh, he wiggled around until he could sling an arm around the demon.

The next however long, he slipped in and out of sleep. Bill moving jostled him awake but once he recognized the movement for what it was, he dropped straight back to sleep. It wasn't the most peaceful nap but he felt rested when he woke up for good. Bill was there, nose to nose, studying him.

"Hey there," Bill greeted, keeping his voice down.

"Hey," Dipper smiled, voice raspy from sleep. He leaned in for a kiss, which Bill granted him. "How long was I out?" he asked after breaking contact.

"About an hour," Bill replied, pulling Dipper in for a second kiss, this time with hint of tongue. They kept it short and parted before either could get carried away.

"That means it's almost time for Ghost Harassers," Dipper realized, worming his way out of the embrace.

"That show is such trash," Bill said with a groan but followed Dipper to the living room anyway.

"Yeah, but that's what makes it so good."

* * *

 

In the morning they dragged their stuff to the car and set off. It was too early for anyone to be out and about yet, the traffic on the way out of town was light to nonexistent. Dipper wasn't a morning person but three cups of coffee helped to make him awake enough to drive. Bill altered between looking out the window and playing with the radio, searching for a channel that interested him. He was about to put his feet up on the dashboard before Dipper stopped him.

"Don't do that, if we crash your leg bones will stab through your torso." It wasn't accurate, but that was what he had been told as a young child.

"Neat!" Bill didn't but he looked like he wanted to. "So what's the plan?"

"Well, we're gonna get to the motel around nightfall but before that we need to stop for food and gas and bathroom and stuff like that," Dipper explained, navigating his way to the highway. There were a few more cars there and as the day went on the number would increase. "Then tomorrow, some more driving and we're there."

"That's a lot of just sitting in the car," Bill didn't sound happy about it. "What do you even do on a drive that long?"

"Listen to music, talk, you could play on your phone or sleep, I guess," Dipper listed. He hadn't thought that Bill would need some special entertainment on the drive. "We have the snacks but let's save those for later, alright?"

"Lemme think of a topic!" Bill yelled, going for the talk option. "Okay! If you could rule the world, what would you do with it?"

"Oh, wow," Dipper had to pause to think, taken aback by the conversation starter. "I guess I'd assemble a group of people from around the world I'd think were best suited for a council of sorts and let them take care of it?"

"Nah-ah, you can't answer with 'I'd give it to someone else to rule', Pine Tree," Bill scolded. "Let's assume, hypothetically, that you were the best suited for the job of ruler of the word. You must think there's some things that could be done better but those in charge currently aren't doing anything about them. Think about that stuff and tell me what you'd do."

Dipper frowned, thinking. Sure, there were a lot wrong with the world but the answers weren't always simple. There was one thing that affected him personally, though. "I'd start by removing all those laws about omega schooling and how we're basically our mates property in the eyes of the law. I mean, it'd take a while for attitudes to change but at least the law would be on our side if we like, wanted to leave our shitty mates."

"So you'd take more of a humanitarian path?" Bill asked, watching him with interest.

"Yeah, I guess so." He didn't think he would ever be in the position to make that change but maybe he could effect it if he worked hard enough. "But I still think that ruling the word is a job for more than one person."

"Two people?" Bill prompted.

"It's better than one," Dipper allowed. They spent some time in silence, Dipper focusing on the road ahead and Bill looking out the window.


	12. Halfway Point

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, the chapter is beta'd by Oilux. There's smut after the scene break when they get to the motel, just a heads up in case you want to skip that.

The drive to their first rest stop went smoothly. They talked some more, and Bill found a radio station he could stand. When Dipper went to fill up the tank, Bill wandered off somewhere while yelling about how he wanted to stretch his legs. Dipper couldn't blame him, he was feeling the hours of driving, too. After taking care of the gas situation, he parked and went into the gas station to find a bathroom. He kept an eye out for Bill but failed to spot him on the way. He just hoped the demon hadn't gone far.

While washing his hands, a fellow traveler stopped to use the sink next to his with a, "So, you traveling alone?"

Dipper felt the fine hairs on the back of his neck rise in alarm. "No, I'm with my mate." He put the emphasis on the 'my mate' part, hoping that it would make the stranger leave him alone. The man was an alpha, and Dipper wasn't into unknown alphas approaching him, especially when he was alone. He hurried to finish up and leave, go find Bill.

The person followed him out of bathroom, into the store area. Dipper slipped behind some shelves, and much to his relief the alpha stopped tailing him, but he could still feel his eyes on him. He grabbed some food off the shelves for Bill and him, heading for the cash register. He paid, took one last look around, spotting the bathroom alpha but no Bill, and stepped outside.

"There you are, Pine Tree!" Bill's voice carried across the parking lot. From the corner of his eye, Dipper saw the stranger stop in his tracks. Dipper felt relief wash over him and relaxed once Bill reached him and put an arm around him. The demon noticed that something was wrong, narrowing his eyes at the strange alpha still staring through the store window. "Is that guy bothering you?"

"Yeah, a bit," Dipper admitted. "Let's just leave, okay? We can eat in the car." Bill seemed reluctant to go but even more so to let Dipper go alone. Once by the car, he ushered Dipper in.

"Lock the doors, I just remembered that I need to use the bathroom," Bill said, grinning in a way that wasn't the least bit reassuring, and closed the door on Dipper before he could protest. He couldn't see all the way to the store but a couple moments later, he saw the alpha that had bothered him run across the parking lot, get into a car and speed off. Bill came out after him, looking pleased with himself.

Dipper unlocked the door for him. "You didn't have to do that," he said. He felt good about his alpha being willing to stand up for him but he didn't need Bill to know.

"If I didn't, we'd have to stop again for a bathroom break," the demon played innocent, which he was bad at, a grin working its way on his face.

"You know what I mean," Dipper scolded without any heat behind it. "It wasn't a big deal, alpha's are just creepy sometimes."

"They can go be creepy at someone else, this position's taken," Bill declared. Dipper couldn't help but smile at the statement. The demon eyed the food, and Dipper, with about the same intensity. "Now, feed me."

Shaking his head, Dipper tore the wrapper off a sandwich. "I really shouldn't be rewarding this sort of behavior."

"I disagree."

Dipper handed the sandwich to Bill, taking one of his own. "Start with that, I got us some chocolate for dessert." He threw a bar at Bill who caught it mid air before it could hit him in the face. "What did you do to him, anyway?"

"Nothing!" Bill bit into his food. "I just talked to him a bit," he said, still chewing. "That guy scared really easily!"

"Well, I'm glad you didn't like, beat him up or something." Dipper started eating his sandwich, too. "Or magic him."

"Magic him," Bill muttered, looking displeased. "You really have no respect for my abilities."

"So far I've just seen you make some fire," Dipper pointed out. "It's cool and all, but it's not the only power a powerful demon should have."

"I'm a mind demon, right? A lot my powers are mind based," Bill explained, finished with his sandwich. "I can make people see things that aren't really there, I can effect dreams and alter your consciousness." He ripped open the chocolate bar, biting into it. "That doesn't sound that impressive on paper, and I don't have access to some of my powers in this form, but I don't just 'magic' people."

Dipper raised his hands in surrender. "Alright, I get it, I'll stop referring to it as that."

"You do that," Bill said. "I'm not angry or anything, I'd just like some appreciation."

"I appreciate you plenty," Dipper patted him on the knee. "I believe you when you say that you're powerful." He wolfed down his chocolate before locating the small plastic bag he had kept for trash. Once cleaned up, he buckled up and started the car, more than ready to continue their journey.

Bill pressed the last piece of chocolate on Dipper's mouth and let his fingers linger after Dipper accepted the treat. Dipper eyed him with suspicion. "No funny business while I'm driving," he reminded the demon.

"So I can't be affectionate?" Bill asked, settling on his seat, hands to himself.

"Affectionate, sure, but you're being affectionate with an ulterior motive."

Bill rolled his eyes. "You've caught me. I've a dastardly scheme to lure you into bed." He let his eyes travel along Dipper. "Though, you don't need much luring, usually."

Dipper blushed, trying to play it off, "Maybe I just find you irresistible."

Bill grinned. "There's no maybe about it, babe."

There wasn't anything Dipper could think to say to that, so he kept his eyes on the road and let Bill have it. The road ahead stretched out straight and boring. There were more cars around, the day having reached its zenith. They still had several hours to go before they could rest for the night.

Bill had been silent for a prolonged period of time. It was worrying. Dipper glanced at him and found him dozing, head against the window. He couldn't help stealing another look. He had never seen Bill nap before. He knew the demon lied down with him sometimes but he wasn't sure he slept. There was something endearing about the sight of Bill relaxed, his mouth hanging open a little. He looked peaceful and harmless.

He leaned back and tried to focus on driving. His life had been such a rollercoaster of emotions and events but he felt like he had reached a plateau, a point where he felt optimistic about the future. A lot of the feeling was thanks to Bill. The demon was a menace but, as much as Dipper was vary of the feeling, he made him happy.

Dipper reached with one hand for Bill's. He gave it a squeeze, and the demon stirred.

"Are we there yet?" Bill asked, eyes barely open.

"Not yet," Dipper smiled at him. "Sorry for waking you, I didn't mean to."

"Don't worry about it." Bill stretched without letting go of Dipper's hand. "I didn't mean to fall asleep anyway."

* * *

Once they had booked a room for the night and made it inside, Bill pushed Dipper against the door. About to bend down for a kiss, Dipper stopped him with a hand on his chest.

"Bill, hang on," Dipper said, feeling regret for what he was about to say. He wouldn't mind some intimacy but the drive had left him tired. "I'm exhausted. I'm not sure if I'm up to anything strenuous tonight."

"I'm not planning anything fancy," Bill argued. "I thought we'd make out a little and touch dicks."

Dipper laughed despite himself. "You sure have a way with words. I'm feeling so seduced right now." He was, a little, though it had less to do with Bill's choice of words and more how it was Bill. Dipper was always a bit weak for him, these days. He smelled so good, and despite how it would mean he would be even more tired in the morning, Dipper leaned in to bury his nose in his neck. He hummed in appreciation.

"That doesn't sound like a no," Bill ventured, his hands trailing down Dipper's side to his butt, giving it a squeeze. "Nice," he muttered to himself.

"Alright," Dipper consented, mouthing at Bill's neck, careful with his teeth.

"Yeah?"

Pulling away from Bill's neck to look him in the eye. "Yeah," he got out before he was lifted up and deposited on the bed. Startled, he let out a yelp, staring at Bill wide eyed once he landed on his back. The demon grinned down at him, stripping off his shirt, and swooped in for a kiss. Dipper couldn't quite keep up with the turn of events, and soon, Bill was pulling back.

"You good?" he asked, fingers toying with the hem of Dipper's shirt, ready to get rid of it.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, just," Dipper paused to breathe for a bit. "You surprised me."

"Good surprise? Bad surprise? What are the reviews?"

"Well, I mean, don't just start flinging me around whenever, obviously, but I did kinda like it?" he admitted, heart beating hard at the show of strength. He had known that Bill was strong, and could throw him around, but he hadn't expected Bill to just do it.

While Dipper pondered on his liking for physical strength, Bill's hands had pushed his shirt up to his armpits. He lifted his arm above his head to help out. When the shirt made it over his head and reached his wrists, Bill paused, one arm holding the shirt from between Dipper's wrists, one supporting him so he could stay on all fours above the omega. Without even realizing, Dipper opened his legs wider to accommodate him.

"You look good like this," Bill said, eyes traveling along Dipper's stretched out body. Dipper whined, straining and leaking in his pants. "Wanna try something?"

"What?"

"Keep your hands there," Bill instructed and let go of the shirt, moving to take care of Dipper's pants. It was frustrating and a relief at the same time. He wanted to touch Bill, but being stripped of the restraining denim felt great.

Once Dipper was naked aside from the shirt around his hands, Bill sat back and just looked at him. Dipper felt himself grow warm down to his chest. They had seen each other naked many times but being under scrutiny was embarrassing. He could move his hands to cover himself but Bill had told him to keep them still and he wanted to try obeying.

"You have nothing to be embarrassed about," Bill told him, stripping the rest of the way, settling between Dipper's legs. He leaned down to kiss him, and Dipper opened his mouth, ready for it this time, moaning when he felt Bill's hand on him. After a few moments of Dipper writhing in pleasure and trying hard to keep his hands where he was told, Bill took himself in hand as well, stroking them together.

When Bill showed no inclination of getting up for air, Dipper turned his head away to pant, desperate for oxygen and release. Bill moved to his neck, dragging his teeth on it, quickening his pace, just as eager for it. "Ah, Bill, I-" he couldn't articulate anymore, so close. Bill sunk his teeth into his neck, not hard enough to break the skin but hard enough to make him come. His yell probably alerted their neighbors to what they were doing but at the moment, he didn't care.

Bill let go of him, focusing on himself before releasing on Dipper's stomach with a growl.

Dipper untangled his hands from the shirt, pat Bill on the cheek. "Thanks," he mumbled and was out like a light.


	13. The Arrival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You're getting this chapter a bit early because I'm leaving for the holidays! Once again, beta'd by Oilux.

The next morning Dipper stirred awake to Bill moving around the room. He pried his eyes open to see what the demon was up to. Bill was puttering about, picking up clothes and toiletries. Dipper was pretty sure some of them were the motel's. His watching went unnoticed for a while before Bill seemed to feel eyes on his back. The demon turned.

"You're awake, finally!" he came over, kissed Dipper on the head. "It's almost nine."

It was later in the morning than he thought. He sat up and realized that Bill must have cleaned him up last night because he didn't feel gross. He still opted for a quick shower before digging out a snack bar from the bag. They could stop for coffee later.

Eating on the way to the car while Bill took care of the bag, he felt groggy. He wasn't tired enough for it to be unsafe for him to drive but the drive the day before and the activities that followed had taken their toll. Bill didn't seem affected but Dipper had never seen him tired, aside from the small nap in the car, so he figured Bill was above human things like exhaustion.

"You're really quiet this morning," Bill observed, taking a seat next to him and fastening his seatbelt.

"Just tired," Dipper muttered, not in a mood for a conversation. He started the car and drove off, careful of other traffic. He would feel better once he had some coffee.

"I can drive," Bill offered.

Dipper didn't even have to think about it. "No."

"Aw, come on! How hard can it be?"

"I'm not going to just let you try it on a highway," Dipper said, getting annoyed by the argument.

"Why? All you need to do is go straight!" Bill argued.

"At high speeds."

"I don't see what that has to do with it."

"Look," Dipper sighed. He didn't want this to turn into a fight. "I appreciate the offer but it'd be better if you learned somewhere less risky," he said, keeping as calm as possible. "I can teach you once we get to Gravity Falls, if you want."

Bill lit up next to him. "Yeah!"

With that, they settled back into a more comfortable silence. Bill hummed a little to himself and Dipper smiled listening to it. He didn't recognize the tune, and it sounded off key, but a content Bill was a lot better than a confrontational one. They needed to drive for a couple of hours before stopping for lunch, and a few more after. They had left later than Dipper had planned, but it wasn't a huge setback. Soos wasn't expecting them to be there the minute they had agreed on anyway.

After a while, Bill got tired of being silent. "Say, Pine Tree, where are we going to be staying once we get there?"

"Probably in the attic where Mabel and I used to stay when we were younger," Dipper guessed. "It's that or Grunkle Ford's old room."

"But we'll be there first so we get first dibs, right?"

"Yeah, in theory, but if Mabel has her heart set on one or the other, I'm not going to argue. Either way we'll have our own room, if that's what you're worried about."

"Well, privacy is a concern," Bill admitted with a grin. Dipper agreed with him there; it would be weird to make an adult couple share a room with a family member. He didn't say anything out loud but Bill seemed to take his silence as agreement. They spent the rest of the way to their first stop alternating between comfortable silence and idle chitchat.

At the stop, they sat down at the diner attached to the gas station. Dipper was relieved to have coffee in front of him and he drank the first cup before their food got there. Bill sat opposite to him, sipping on his own drink, observing the people around them. There were other patrons but not enough to make the place packed. Different conversations were taking place around them, blending together so making out just one was impossible. Bill looked more alert than usual and Dipper figured it was because of what happened the last time they had stopped for food.

"Relax, would you?" Dipper said, reaching out for Bill's arm that rested on the table. "Nothing's going to happen, there's too many witnesses."

Bill jumped a bit at the touch, not expecting it, but it did relax him once he realized it was just Dipper. "I'm starting to think none of these people would care if someone did throw you over their shoulder and carry you out."

Dipper shrugged, "I'm sure some of them would, and kidnapping's still illegal." He gave Bill's arm a squeeze. "Unless that someone was you. They'd just assume that you're my mate and had every right to take me away."

"I will if it looks like someone's harassing you," Bill swore, glancing around with suspicion. They hadn't been in public a lot but there seemed to be a pattern where Bill got triggered into being possessive and protective by other people. It could cause some issues if they didn't address it. Dipper wasn't sure if a crowded diner was the right location for that discussion.

Their food arrived, Dipper got a refill, and they dug in. It was passable but Dipper was starving so it got elevated to delicious. Bill started poking it after a while instead of eating, and seeing Dipper wolf down his food got him to slide his leftovers on the omega's plate.

"You need to eat, too," Dipper argued, slowing down his pace.

"I ate. You look like you need it more, I know how awful your eating habits are," Bill said, downing the rest of his coffee. "Go on."

Dipper kept eating but he wasn't happy about it. He knew Bill was right about his food intake being too small for him, and he forgot to eat sometimes, but that didn't mean Bill needed to baby him. Even if what he thought as babying was just Bill making sure he didn't starve. He couldn't keep up his irritation in the face of a full belly, and by the time he was done he felt mellow again, and oddly affectionate towards the demon.

"Alright, we need to get going," Dipper announced, flagging down a waiter to get their bill. One showed up, he paid, and got up for a quick stop in the bathroom before leaving.

"I'm coming with you this time," Bill said, wrapping an arm around his waist. Dipper didn't mind, snuggling into him. Food was awesome but being close to Bill was pretty great, too. The demon chuckled, and snuck a hand in to pet his stomach. He was pleased with the situation, Dipper could feel it. It gave him the warm fuzzies, too.

Their bathroom break didn't take long and no one tried anything. Dipper didn't think anyone would. The last time he had been alone but now he was accompanied by an alpha, and it was rare that people wanted to mess with one.

They drove off. Bill found an upbeat pop channel on the radio and Dipper asked him to keep it on. He felt a bit drowsy from all the food and the coffee needed help combating it. He knew the lyrics to a lot of the songs but Bill didn't need to know that so he kept his humming under wraps. Bill kept shooting amused glanced at him, which probably meant that he noticed anyway. He didn't say anything about it.

They arrived late that evening. The shop part of the Shack was closed but the lights were on in the living quarters. The Shack looked well taken care of, and Dipper felt a swell of nostalgia when he saw that the S on the sign was crooked despite efforts to make it stick straight. He parked out front and jumped out to get some fresh air and to move his feet. Bill followed close behind, looking around, taking in the building and the darkening forest surrounding it. He smiled to himself a little, just a small quirk of his mouth that Dipper would have missed if he wasn't so in tune with him.

Before they had a chance to get their bag out, Soos emerged from the Shack. Dipper's face lit up at the sight of his old friend, and Soos looked happy to see him, too, but eyed Bill with suspicion. Dipper couldn't blame him; he had told Soos about William, not in as much detail as he had told Mabel, but enough to make Soos hostile. He stepped between them and went for the fistbump.

"Dude! I'm so stoked that you're here!" Soos said, forgetting about Bill for the moment.

"It's great to see you too, man," Dipper replied. He was home.

"Lemme help you with your bags," Soos offered. Getting to the car required that he pass Bill. He didn't say anything, just narrowed his eyes at the alpha. Dipper was grateful that it didn't escalate but he would need to talk to Soos about it. Soos got their things and they went inside.

It was clear that Soos had done some renovating. Nothing was too different from how Dipper remembered it but all broken floorboards and peeling wallpaper had been replaced. They went upstairs. The two beds were replaced with one bigger bed but otherwise it was the same. The painting with a ship on it still hung on the wall and the lantern served as a nightlight.

"Here you go dudes," Soos put their bag down. "I'll see you downstairs?" He glanced at Bill when he said it. The demon grinned at him.

"Yeah, I'll be there in a minute," Dipper jumped in. "We'll catch up."

Once Soos had left, Dipper dug out their pajamas, laying them on the bed for later. Bill sat next to them, eyeing the room.

"So this is it, huh? Your childhood room," he said, bouncing a little.

"This is it, it's hardly changed." He sat next to Bill. "My bed was smaller, and Mabel's bed was over there, by the other wall," he pointed. "It's so nice to be back here, you know? I didn't think I'd get to come, any time soon." William had been against it; he hadn't been a fan of Dipper's family or friends, or the small town. He laid his head on Bill's shoulder, closing his eyes for a moment.

"Wanna christen it?" Bill asked and Dipper could almost sense the eyebrow wiggle. He laughed, lifting his head.

"Not tonight. I'm really, genuinely exhausted."

"Not tonight," Bill repeated. "You promised your large friend you'd catch up with him.”

"I did. You can come, too, but I think it'd be easier of I explained the situation to him first. Or you know, the made up version of it, anyway." Dipper pecked him on the lips, reluctant to leave the bed. He was tired and wanted to sleep but he also wanted to talk to Soos. Not just to explain the Bill thing, but to ask about how he was doing, if anything interesting had happened at the Shack. There was always something.

The peck turned into a more involved kiss when Bill engaged him. It was nice, Bill had gotten good at it, and he knew what to do to make Dipper want to stay. Maybe go back on his ‘no christening tonight’ decision. But he couldn't keep Soos waiting or else he would worry, and Bill would still be there when he got back and in the morning and the night after. They had plenty of time to fool around.

Dipper pulled back. He didn't want to, and Bill must have picked up on it because the demon pulled him back into the kiss, sucking at his lower lip. It wasn't even spring anymore, he shouldn't be this easy, but he gave into it, just for a moment longer.

A knock on the door brought him out of it.

"You alright in there?" Soos asked through the door.

Noticing that he had somehow climbed partly on Bill's lap, Dipper backed off, sheepish and flushed. "Yeah! I'm fine, just um, got a bit caught up! I'll be there in a second!" he called out to his friend. To Bill, he whispered, "I really have to go."

"How long will you be?" Bill asked, keeping his voice down, too.

"I don't know, a couple hours?" Dipper guessed. "Probably less because I really do need some sleep."

"Sleep, right," Bill teased, giving the back of Dipper's thigh a squeeze, reeling him in a little.

"I mean it. I'll fall asleep the moment my head hits the pillow," Dipper untangled himself and got up, straightening his clothes where they had gotten rumpled. Soos didn't need to know the real reason he had taken so long. "I'll see you in a bit. " He almost leaned down for a quick kiss but changed his mind. He would never leave if he did.


	14. A Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! Beta'd by Oilux again. Comments and kudos and all are greatly appreciated:D

Talking with Soos was fun but Dipper had to cut it short and go to bed. Bill was waiting for him, reading one of his old mystery novels. The bedside lamp was the only light source, giving the room a warm glow. He looked up from his reading when Dipper entered, patting the bed besides him. Dipper didn't bother with changing, just taking off his shoes and pants before crawling into bed. Bill was warm and welcoming to curl up next to.

Dipper lifted the book enough to get a glimpse of the title. He smiled, tired, "The cook did it."

"I know, it's so obvious," Bill replied, flipping a page. "How's your friend?"

"He's doing well, business is good, I explained things to him so he doesn't hate you anymore," Dipper mumbled, about to fall asleep. He buried his face on Bill's shoulder and threw a leg over him, settling in to rest. The drive had taken a lot out of him.

"That's nice, wouldn't want the drama."

"Bullshit, you love drama," Dipper said. "I'm the one who'd rather avoid it." Bill smelled like he had showered, and Dipper needed one, too. He decided that he would take one in the morning. Bill hadn't complained about him being smelly so it couldn't be that bad.

"Sure," Bill started petting his back, coaxing Dipper further into a relaxed state. "Sleep now, argue with me in the morning."

Dipper sighed, "Okay." He slept.

His dreams were strange. There was a floating chessboard, and his grunkle. Some sort of a science fiction-y machine. It didn't make sense to him.

When he woke up Bill wasn't there. It was disorienting. Bill had been there, if not in the bed with him, then at least around, every time he had woken up lately. His first reaction was fear, and he sat up in a hurry, but then he saw what time it was. It made perfect sense for Bill to be up at noon instead of waiting around for Dipper to wake up. Bill hadn't been as tired by the trip and seemed to need less sleep than a normal human.

Dipper stumbled out of bed, heading to the bathroom for a shower and all other morning essentials. He made quick work of it, eager to start the day. Bill's things were by the sink, their towels hanging next to the shower. It looked like the demon had made himself at home.

He heard voices from the kitchen and headed their way. Soos was sitting at the table while Bill looked busy near the stove. They both looked at him when he entered.

"Morning dude. I tried telling him that he didn't need to cook but he insisted," Soos greeted. Bill winked at Dipper who just rolled his eyes a little without comment. He sat down next to Soos, sniffing the air.

"It's smells good either way. What's for breakfast?"

"It's lunch, sleepy head," Bill corrected. "There's coffee, though. I know you're a grump without it." There was a fresh pot on the counter and Dipper got up to get it.

"I still have a tour before lunch break," Soos said, saluting them on the way out.

Dipper took a sip of his coffee, leaning on the counter next to Bill. The food looked like it involved rice and chicken. "Looks great," he commented.

"Of course it does!" Bill agreed. "Hey, so, your husky friend told me your sister gets here this weekend."

"His name is Soos," Dipper reminded. "That means we still have a few more days of relative peace." He drank some more coffee. "What do you wanna do?"

Bill shrugged, stirring the food. "I guess you could show me around, take me to all your favorite spots."

"That actually sounds nice," Dipper's surprise could be heard in his voice. He had expected Bill to suggest something more adult or dangerous. Sightseeing was basic, and it could be made into a date. He realized that they had never been on one, despite all the time they had spent together.

"I can come up with nice things," Bill said, defensive.

"Of course you can, honey," Dipper replied absently, thinking about where to take Bill. He guessed they could start with the town, there were plenty of spots that had been important to his younger self. Like the library or Greasy's Diner. But were they date material? Would Bill have a good time at places like those?

He looked over at Bill. The demon seemed to be having a good time just standing by the stove, talking to him. He would probably be entertained no matter where they went. It eased Dipper's anxiety to know that Bill wasn't hard to amuse. If all else failed, Dipper could proposition him at the end of the day and call it a success. That was what he would end up doing anyway, unless Bill beat him to it.

"How does a tour of the town sound?" Dipper asked, getting a refill.

"Like a plan!"

The food was done soon and Dipper went to get Soos. When he came back, he saw that Bill had piled his plate high. He sighed but dug in without protest. It was nice that the demon cared, even if it was just an instinctual thing to make sure his mate didn't starve. A skinny omega couldn't carry children to term.

They enjoyed some light conversation. Soos was wary of Bill, though the food seemed to relax him a little, and Bill was being friendly enough. Dipper was grateful that the demon wasn't in an antagonistic mood, but since Bill wanted to keep a low profile, being inoffensive was the better way to go. He needled Dipper but that was nothing new, and made sure all the food got eaten. Soos did most of the heavy lifting there, though by the end of it Dipper was too full to move.

"Ugh, you'll need to roll me into the car if you want to leave for town any time soon," he told Bill.

"You guys are going to town?" Soos asked. "Can you pick some stuff up for me while you're there?"

"Sure, what do you need?" Dipper agreed.

"I'll make a list."

* * *

 

The town was quiet. It wasn't surprising since the population was growing older and the young people were moving out. There were tourists around but it seemed that the locals were either at work or at home. Dipper had Bill's hand in his as they navigated the streets. He pointed out some places and buildings as significant and Bill was interested enough to ask some questions. It wasn't a romantic outing, it felt more like they were hanging out, and Dipper wasn't sure if he should be disappointed or relieved. He had thought that just knowing that it was meant to be a date would make it different somehow. It didn't; he was spending time with Bill like always. Either he was bad at dates or they had been on a continuous date since they met.

"So I was thinking we could go to the mall after walking around town, get the stuff for Soos, and go get coffee or something at Greasy's," Dipper said, bringing Bill's attention back on him. The demon had been eyeing the museum. "We can go in if you want," he offered.

"Let's do that," Bill agreed. "Also yes to that thing you said earlier."

They went in to look at the exhibit about the settler times. The figures used for the scenes were in even worse shape than Dipper remembered. He was pretty sure one of them was falling apart, held together by its clothes alone. The museum had more people in it, tourists by the look of them. Bill looked tense, keeping a close eye on the other museum goers.

Dipper nudged him with his shoulder. "Is this going to be a problem?" he asked, indicating the people around them.

"Nah. Though I do feel like romancing you the settler way." Bill nodded at the scene depicting a burly man carrying off a woman.

"You can't just carry me away every time people make you uncomfortable," Dipper said. "I know it's some kind of alpha instinct bullshit but you need to get it under control."

"I know, alright?" Bill snapped. "Notice how I'm not picking you up right now? I've got this." He still pulled Dipper close, glowering at passersby. Dipper deemed it an acceptable compromise and let Bill pull him around. He didn't mind the proximity, and Bill wasn't being rough, so he didn't say anything when the alpha pawed at him. It was all bit a ridiculous.

"Are you actually interested in all this?" Dipper asked after a while. He had seen the exhibition before, years ago, and Bill looked like he was losing interest.

"More or less," Bill shrugged. "I was hoping there'd be more death and disease."

"Of course you were," Dipper sighed. "There was probably more of that on the way here." They had seen most of it, and the afternoon was rolling by. It was time they got going. The Gravity Falls Mall was waiting. "Ready to go?"

Bill agreed and they went to the mall. The crowds were thicker but the list Soos gave them was short and they were better prepared to deal with it. Dipper had never been into shopping so they just went in, got the stuff, and got out. Carrying things around while Bill hung off him was tiring, and by the time they got to Greasy's, Dipper was starting to feel the effects of it. Maybe they should have just stayed in for the day.

Dipper slumped in his seat, "It's not the same without Lazy Susan but I hear she retired a while back." He looked at the menu, deciding if he was hungry enough to order food to go with his coffee. Bill would get on his case if he didn't eat, so he ordered a waffle. It was quiet in the diner.

"This body is so weird," Bill complained, half lying on the table. "It has some strange impulses when it comes to you, Pine Tree," he went on. Dipper hummed with sympathy and fed him some waffle. Bill accepted the offering, opening his mouth for more.

"No, get your own," Dipper protested while cutting a tiny piece for the demon.

"Wanna hear some of them?" Bill asked.

"I don't know, are they PG?" Dipper asked, feeding himself for a change. It was good waffle.

"Not all of them," Bill admitted, grinning.

"Then we shouldn't discuss them in public," Dipper decided. He felt better having some food and coffee in him. There was still plenty of daylight left but he felt like calling it a day, maybe curling up next to Bill to watch television.

"You're right, I'll tell you about them tonight." Bill downed the rest of his coffee. "So, what's next?"

"I kinda wanna go back and just relax," Dipper confessed. "Give Soos his things, watch something mindless."

"Snuggle?" Bill perked up.

"Yeah."

"Good. It's driving me crazy that you don't properly smell like me." Bill got up, threw money on the table and offered his hand to Dipper. Confused by the sudden turn of events, Dipper didn't react right away, staring at Bill's hand. "Come one, I wanna rub myself all over you already."

Dipper blushed and looked around to see if anyone had heard. "Don't say things like that. People are going to take it the wrong way."

"Or the right way," Bill gave one of his obnoxious eyebrow wiggles. Dipper rolled his eyes but took Bill's hand and got dragged out of the diner and into his car. They drove back to the Shack, presented Soos with his things, and shared the armchair for the rest of the evening.

Bill was extra cuddly and Dipper secretly ate it up. His hands traveled like he wouldn't be satisfied until he had touched every part of the omega. Dipper squirmed away a few times to keep it suitable for a living room where they could be walked in on but didn't otherwise protest the treatment. He liked Bill's hands on him, and the touch was calming the alpha down, which in turn made Dipper feel relaxed and happy. The demon paid special attention to the mate mark, nipping at it. Feeling teeth on the scar made Dipper shiver and arch into the touch.


	15. Sunset

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's not beta'd but I might edit it more if it turns out there's mistakes I've missed. Enjoy!

Dipper remembered his promise to give Bill driving lessons. One afternoon they took the car to the lot next to the Mystery Shack and went through the basics. Bill caught on quick, like he did with most things, and got bored with driving in circles around the lot. Dipper was dreaming about not having to drive the whole way back when he realized that he didn't know that Bill would be coming back with him. They hadn't talked about how long the demon would be staying around, his plans could take him elsewhere at any moment. Their time together was finite and Dipper had no idea when it would come to an end. He was scared to ask.

"We could drive around a bit," Dipper suggested. He needed a distraction, he didn't want to think about Bill leaving. "Normally, I'd be against it since you don't have a license but the law enforcement around here has always been a bit eh." His grunkle had gotten away with having a bear drive his car, surely the police wouldn't even blink if it was Bill.

"Let's hit the road!" Bill cheered but as he looked at Dipper, his face fell, and he frowned. "Why are you sad?"

Dipper smiled, it didn't reach his eyes, "I'm not sad."

"You are! I'm not sure how I know but you're definitely feeling down right now." He studied Dipper like he could see what was wrong if he looked hard enough. "Is it me?"

"No," Dipper hurried to deny. "No, it's not you. I'm just being silly." He was. He had known that getting attached was a bad idea and had done it anyway. "Let's drive, okay? But keep to the smaller roads, just in case."

Bill crossed his arms, stubborn. "You're sad, you say it's not me but you don't want to tell me what's wrong. Kinda sounds like I am the problem and you don't want me to know."

"I don't want to get into it right now," Dipper pleaded.

"So I'm right?"

"I didn't say that!" he shouted, and then realized that he wouldn't get anywhere like that. "Look, I'm feeling a bit melancholy but it's not your fault, so." He wasn't prepared to bare his heart to Bill right then, but it didn't look like the demon would let him drop the subject. So he played the last card he had. It had always gotten him out of unpleasant situations with William. He unbuckled and leaned closer to Bill, placing his hand on his inner thigh. "So why don't you distract me?" Bill tensed under his hand traveling upwards.

"Don't," the demon choked out.

Dipper thumbed the area where thigh met crotch, letting his lips brush Bill's ear, "Don't you want me?"

"I always want you," Bill confessed, putting his hand on Dipper's, stopped his progress. "But not like this." He pushed Dipper back, hand still held captive. He focused on it rather than Dipper's face as he spoke, "I know you've successfully offered yourself up to get some semblance of peace in the past." He looked up at Dipper, "But I don't ever want you to do that with me. Offer me sex, sure, but do it because you want to have sex and not because you're feeling trapped."

Dipper couldn't maintain eye contact. "Sorry."

"I'm not angry," Bill sighed, letting go so Dipper could sit back on his seat. "And I will distract you, but I'll do it by driving like a lunatic rather than have you peddle your ass."

The laugh came out as more of a sob, and Dipper tried to wipe his eyes without Bill noticing. He wasn't successful, of course Bill noticed but didn't comment. They were tears of relief, the feeling was so intense that he couldn't keep it in. William would have taken him up on it, but Bill had turned him down, and it made him feel so good, important and cared for.

When Bill hit the gas pedal and curved out of the lot, Dipper screamed. Bill laughed all the way down the road, slowing down before the turn enough to keep them on the road. Dipper fastened his seatbelt and clung to the edges of the seat. He was distracted, he had to give Bill that.

They drove around the dirt roads in the woods. Bill slowed down from death-defying speeds to the point where they could enjoy the scenery. No one stopped them and they didn't see anyone else on the road. After a while, they arrived at a cliff that looked over the town. Bill parked the car and they sat there looking out into the distance. The sun was starting to set. It painted the valley in hues of orange and red.

"It's pretty out here," Dipper said. This was the cliche romantic thing he had wanted to do with Bill but hadn't found the chance to.

"I suppose," Bill agreed, eyes on the horizon. His light hair took on some of the sunset colors, appearing more orange. Dipper smiled to himself a little; his alpha was nice to look at.

"You're pretty, too," he said, softer.

Bill turned to him with a raised eyebrow, an upward quirk to his mouth. "No, you're the pretty one, I'm devastatingly handsome."

Dipper snorted, "Whatever. All I'm saying is that you look nice in this light."

"Just this light?" Bill pushed.

"Yes, all other light makes you look like shit," Dipper confirmed but couldn't keep a straight face. They ended up grinning at each other like idiots for a good while, the sunset going unappreciated. Bill reached for Dipper's cheek, fingers running across it to his ear, to his hair.

"Feeling better?" the demon asked when Dipper leaned into his hand.

"A lot better." The drive hadn't made the issue go away but it had put it out of his mind for the time being. "You know what would make me feel even better, though?" Dipper shifted towards Bill.

"I'm really hoping the answer's some heavy making out," Bill replied.

"Close, but I was thinking more along the lines of a romantic kiss at sunset." They were losing light at an increasing pace. Soon they would have to kiss in the dark forest and that was less appealing with all the strange creatures around.

"I can do that, I am the master of romance," Bill declared, leaning in until their lips were almost touching.

"You're so not," Dipper got in before they connected. The master of romance or not, Bill knew what he liked. Using that knowledge against him, Bill had Dipper melting on his seat, moaning and trying to get closer for more. He had to pull back for air after a while, panting.

Bill didn't look unaffected, either, drawing in breath, lips red from kissing. "Are you romanced yet?"

"I'm so romanced, you don't even know," Dipper said, wanting more but also itching to get out of the darkening forest. "Let's take this back to the Shack." He thought he heard an owl but it could have been anything. The trees moved in ways that might have been caused by the wind, or by something lurking just outside his field of vision.

"I don't know, I kinda like it here," Bill said, guiding Dipper back to him with a gentle grip on his chin.

"There's things out there I'd rather not have sneak up on us," he protested but it was weak as he let his lips brush Bill's.

"I'm the most dangerous thing out here, darling," Bill reassured him before claiming his mouth again. By the time they made it back to the Shack, it was late at night. They sneaked through the hallways to not wake up Soos.

* * *

Mabel arrived without much fanfare one evening. Soos went to pick her up from the bus stop while Dipper stayed to cook dinner with Bill. She got there, tackle hugged Dipper and eyed Bill with suspicion.

She pulled back, hands still on Dipper's shoulders. "You look great," she enthused. "I was so worried that you're in even more trouble but you look like you've slept and everything!" She looked at Bill who waved at her. "You better be treating him well. I don't think brobro was lying anymore but I'm still keeping an eye on you, buddy."

"That's fair!" Bill said, wrapping an arm around Dipper. "Gotta say, I like your style, Shooting Star!" Mabel's outfit was as colorful and handmade as ever. She seemed surprised at the compliment, glancing down at herself.

"Thank you. You're a lot nicer than the last time I met you," she said, narrowing her eyes.

"Bill really likes your sweaters, they're all he ever wears these days," Dipper jumped in.

"Bill?" Mabel asked.

"I go by Bill now, William just sounds so stuffy," Bill explained, not missing a beat.

Mabel didn't look convinced but she was relaxing bit by bit at seeing how Dipper didn't shy away from Bill's touch, instead leaning into him. "Right, well, I guess I can make you more, then. If!" she raised a finger and started poking Bill's chest with it as she spoke, "It really turns out that you're good to Dipper."

"I assure you that's the case," Bill said, placing a hand on his heart.

"He is," Dipper backed Bill up.

"We'll see," Mabel gave Bill one final glare before smiling at Dipper again. "We need to have a sleepover! Just you and me like old times, tonight!"

"Okay, I guess," Dipper glanced at Bill who just shrugged.

"Great! We're taking the attic for the night, Bill gets Ford's old room!" Mabel declared, hands on her hips.

"There's only one bed up there," Dipper pointed out.

"We'll get the air mattress." Mabel was making plans at full speed and they hadn't had the chance to sit down to have dinner yet. Dipper's stomach protested the treatment.

"Hungry?" Bill asked, ignoring Mabel for the time being. Dipper nodded and got dragged into the kitchen and sat down. Mabel and Soos joined them, they ate, trying to start a conversation but every attempt ended with someone trailing off. It was awkward but over soon as everyone hurried through their meal. Mabel was still excited by the sleepover and went to get the air mattress.

Dipper took Bill with him to get enough things to last the night from the attic. It would be the first time in a long while that they slept apart. Dipper was happy to spend time with Mabel but he wasn't sure how well he could sleep without Bill to cling to. Chances were that they would tire themselves out and fall asleep in the early morning hours, and the problem would solve itself.

"I think that's all you need," Dipper said, giving Bill his sleep clothes and some hygiene products.

"I'll just find a way to entertain myself while you and your sister braid each other's hair and talk about boys," Bill muttered in a way that told Dipper that he, too, wanted to braid hair and talk about boys but not even being asked left him sore.

"Don't feel bad about it, we'll see each other in the morning," Dipper tried to console. "Maybe it'll be good to spend some time apart." He didn't think that was the case but if he kept telling himself, and Bill, that, he would start to sound convincing. "You can bond with Soos."

"I don't think we have anything to bond over," Bill said.

"You could talk about me behind my back," Dipper suggested. He was joking but also worried that they would. Soos had been there through his awkward preteen and teen years, he knew things. "And there's all sort of reading material in Grunkle Ford's room, you could check that out." The journals were tucked neatly under a floorboard, out of sight.

Bill still looked sour but he left the room when Mabel showed up to shoo him out. She had a bunch of pillows and blankets with her, as well as snacks. It was a miracle she could carry it all.


	16. Sleepover

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sleepover! and some plot. It's unbeta'd again.

They took turns pumping the air mattress. It took a while to get it to the point where it could be slept on but they managed. After spreading the blankets and pillows on it, it was time for the "braid each others' hair and talk about boys" section of the sleepover. It was more Mabel braiding her own hair while grilling Dipper about Bill than anything, though. Dipper didn't feel comfortable lying to his sister so he kept his answers short when it came to William's sudden change of heart.

"I guess he saw the error of his ways?" Dipper tried. Mabel didn't look convinced. "I can't go into any details, you just have to trust me."

"I trust you. I don't think you'd be standing up for him if something hadn't changed," Mabel said. "It's him I don't trust."

"Maybe if you spent more time with him? Get to know him better?" Dipper was sure that Bill would be able handle keeping secrets better than he was. The demon claimed that he didn't lie to Dipper but it was obvious that he was about as honest as a used car sales person.

Mable thought about it, tying up the braid. "I guess." She brightened up after a moment, "In any case, it's pretty obvious that you're doing better. You smell like each other so I'm guessing you let him get close." She wiggled her eyebrows and for a moment Dipper was reminded of Bill.

"Yes, I have a flourishing sex life," Dipper confirmed.

"I don't want any details, jeesh," Mable protested. "I'm just saying that you're touchy-feely with him in a way you weren't before."

"Well, yeah," Dipper ran a hand through his hair. "He has this thing, when we're in public. He gets really antsy and it helps if we're close and I smell like him."

"Ah, he suffers from what you refer to as alpha bullshit." The curse word sounded weird coming from Mabel but she nodded sagely as she said it. "I'm surprised you accommodate that at all, really."

"I make sure to give him plenty of sass to balance it out." Dipper looked down, smiling a little, "And uh, I kinda like the affection," he admitted. He hadn't thought he would but when it was Bill, it was special.

"You sound like you actually like him," Mable poked him on the side, making him squirm.

Dipper swatted at her hand, scooting away. "I do like him," his voice got soft at the admission. "I like him a lot." He wasn't sure when it had happened. Had he liked Bill from the start but had been too stubborn to own up to it? It was likely. The whole thing was meant to be a business deal, now he had a relationship.

"Oooh!" Mabel teased. "I think someone has a crush."

"And on my own mate, too, what a scandal," Dipper deadpanned. He poked Mabel back. "What about you, huh? Let's talk about your love life for a change."

Mabel waved him off. "Boys come and go, you know how it is."

"I don't, really."

"You're all about that commitment," she made a face. "If you ask me, which you never do, you should have seen what's out there before settling for William, browsed the selection a little."

"Yeah, well, I was more concerned with getting to a good school than finding true love or whatever." Mabel was right in that he should have looked for an alternative but he hadn't liked the attention being an unmated omega brought him, he had wanted away from the advances and from the creepy way some alphas were around him. William hadn't seemed too off-putting, and he had treated Dipper like a person, in the beginning. "Speaking of, Bill filled out the school paper work for me and as soon as it gets processed, I'm as good as accepted." His grades had always been above average, any school would have been happy to have him if his secondary sex had been anything else.

"That's great!" Mabel cheered. "I'm happy for you, brobro!"

"Thanks," Dipper scratched the back of his head. "It is pretty great." He was getting what he wanted, and he should be happier, but it also meant that his deal with Bill was at its conclusion. Bill had a body and Dipper's silence, Dipper had his freedom and a chance for schooling. He looked at Mabel who was concerned about his lack of enthusiasm. He couldn't talk about it with her without coming clean about Bill. Coming clean about Bill would have consequences. He didn't know what those were but breaking a deal with a demon had to come with something severe, like losing his soul.

In order to distract Mabel, he changed the subject, "So, what do you have planned for your break? Anything special?"

"Well," Mabel drew out. "Hanging out with you, of course, and!" She perked up. "Wendy is coming to visit her dad, so we'll get to see her, too!"

"Really? That's amazing!" He hadn't seen Wendy in years. He had had the biggest crush on her but later on her friendship had grown to mean more to him than any potential romance with her. Not that he had ever had a chance with her; she had been way out of his league.

"Yeah!" Mabel threw some candy at her mouth. "Oooh, does Bill know about her? Do you think he'll be jealous?"

Bill didn't know about Wendy, Dipper hadn't felt it necessary to bring her up. "There's nothing to be jealous about. I'm with him now, and there was never a chance of me being together with Wendy." Bill was the jealous type, though, and jealousy wasn't rational. Maybe it would be better if he didn't say anything about his past crush, but it would look incriminating if he said nothing and Bill found out. Mabel had a gleam in her eye that told Dipper that she was ready for drama. "I don't think it'll be a problem, he didn't react at all to you being an alpha," he tried to dissuade his sister.

"Yeah, but I'm your sister, Wendy is a rival!"

Dipper rolled his eyes, "She is not." He was over Wendy and into Bill. Bill had nothing to worry about. "How I feel about her now is totally different from how I felt about her when I was twelve."

"Booo! Who do you think would win if they fought?" Mabel asked and Dipper had to think about it. Wendy was kickass but Bill had demon powers on his side.

"I honestly can't tell you," Dipper replied. "What's with the blood thirst, anyway? College not keeping you entertained?"

"Nah, I'm just making conversation." Mabel was distracted by the snacks for a while and Dipper joined her in pigging out. "You know what we should do?" She asked, her mouth full. "Make a mini golf course! Just like old times!"

"Okay, I think the clubs are in the closet." Dipper got up the get them. The closet was dusty and he spotted a couple spider webs. The clubs were smaller than he remembered, they would have to bend down to hit the ball with them. He also found the balls, and a couple random items they could use for the course.

He tweaked some angles and incorporated Mabel’s ideas into the course the best he could. Soon, they had a playable course that went from one end of the room to the other, across both beds, ending near the staircase.

They played well into the night. Mabel swept the floor with him but he was enjoying it more because he got to spend time with her and less for the game. They managed not to break the window, though there were a couple close calls. It would have sucked trying to find a temporary fix in the middle of the night.

It was around four in the morning that they both ran out of juice. They ended up both sleeping on the air mattress, curled up in blankets.

Late in the morning, Dipper woke up to being pushed out of bed. He rubbed his tired eyes, sent Mabel a glare, and got up. He wanted to see Bill, so he trekked downstairs. Without bothering to knock, he peeked his head in the door to Ford's room. Bill was sitting on the bed, looking like he had just got up, hair a mess and squinty eyed. It was adorable.

"Morning," he greeted, getting Bill's attention. The demon sat up straighter, grinning at him.

"Hey there," Bill said, beckoning Dipper over. "Didja miss me?"

Dipper went, closing the door behind him. "Not a bit." He had, a little. Their morning kiss was a tad gross since neither had brushed their teeth yet but he endured it like a man.

"Yet here you are, coming to see me first thing in the morning," Bill pointed out. He didn't seem to mind the stinky morning breath, bringing Dipper closer.

"Just wanted to make sure you didn't like, cry yourself to sleep last night, over me being in the other room," Dipper teased back.

"You were with me in my thoughts," Bill's grin turned more lewd and Dipper made a face at him. "So a part of me wept for you, if you catch my meaning."

"Yeah, I got it, no need to elaborate."

"And what did you do last night?" Bill asked, content at having planted that image in Dipper's head. "Did you have fun?"

"We talked about you and played mini golf," Dipper summarized. "It was mostly Mabel being suspicious of you and me trying to reassure her that you weren't horrible to me. She might want to spend time with you, so just a heads up."

"I'll look forward to it." Bill got up, almost dragging Dipper with him. "Join me in the shower?" he offered, backing up towards the door with hands on Dipper's hips.

It didn't sound like a bad idea but he should go wake Mabel so she wouldn't be disappointed at having slept the day away. "Not this time."

"Aw, when will you say yes to me," Bill lamented, pouting. "We don't even have to do anything naughty."

"I say yes to you all the time," Dipper reminded him. "And there's no way that wouldn't lead to anything." The mind might have been strong but the flesh was oh so weak; being in a small space with a naked, wet Bill would, without a doubt, lead them to use all the warm water. "Just go already, you dummy." He pushed at Bill who pretended that it affected him.

While Bill was showering, Dipper looked around Ford's old room. It hadn't changed from how he remembered it, still filled with the less dangerous experiments. The bed looked slept in so at least Bill had gotten some shuteye the night before, under the covers and everything. He decided to change the sheets for Mabel. It took longer than he thought it would, he wasn't efficient at most chores, but he got it done. If Mabel wasn't satisfied with the job he had done, she could fix it herself.

On the way to throw the used sheets into the laundry hamper, Dipper noticed that the dust in the corner with the loose floorboard had been disturbed. He dropped the sheets and went to investigate. The room looked like someone had gone over every corner in search of something. It could have been Soos, he lived in the Shack and came into the room sometimes, but it seemed more likely that it was Bill. Dipper pried open the floor and much to his relief, the journals were still there. He ran his fingers over the spines, smiling a little in nostalgia. So far it just looked like Bill had been curious of his new surroundings and had wanted to snoop around. Nothing wrong with that.

He got up, dusted off his knees, and picked up the sheets again. Bill chose that moment to come back, drying his hair on a towel, humming to himself.

"Hey, ready to get breakfast?" Dipper asked. He wasn't sure if he should bring up the snooping or if now was the right time to do it.

Bill brightened at the mention of food. He threw the towel aside and took a hold of Dipper before marching to the kitchen.


	17. Claim

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains smut. Beta'd by Oilux.

Bill and Mabel had left to go shopping in the morning. Dipper was by himself at the gift shop while Soos ran a tour. He had volunteered to man the cash register in case more customers showed up. It wasn't like he had anything better to do. He could explore the forest but he would rather do it with Mabel or Bill, or both depending on how today's outing went. It would make things easier if they got along.

The shop was empty. It was past noon and he was getting hungry. If he ran to the kitchen for a snack, he would still hear the door and be back in time to serve a customer. He checked the windows for anyone approaching before dashing through the employee's only door. He made quick work on a sandwich and took it back with him. The store was still empty so he spent a moment eating, and decided to clean up a bit. With a broom in hand, he swept the corners and nooks of the space, guiding the trash towards the door and out.

Sweeping and dusting passed the time until Soos got back with the group. He was ringing up customers when Mabel and Bill came through the door. Much to his relief, they were laughing about something, Mabel elbowing Bill on the side. They looked over at him and waved, in sync. Dipper waved back, trying to focus on his work. The flood of customers eased up soon after, the tourists getting back on their bus and driving off. Soos left to change out of the Mister Mystery outfit and Mabel and Bill came over.

"Hey guys," Dipper greeted, counting the money in the register. "How was the shopping?"

"Great! You should've told me Bill had like nothing to wear, I would've taken him sooner." Mabel jumped up to sit on the counter.

"He likes me in nothing," Bill said, grinning like a loon.

"Please, not in front of Mabel," Dipper said, done with the money, locking it away.

"I can handle it, just spare me the details," Mabel interjected. "Your sordid love affair doesn't faze me."

Dipper rolled his eyes, "It's not sordid, where did you even get that."

"It's kinda sordid," Bill disagreed, leaning over the counter to kiss Dipper on the cheek.

"Oh my, such filth," Mabel fanned herself, pretending to feel woozy. "How could you expose me to this? Your own sister."

Dipper was glad they were getting along but he could do with less teasing.

"She's right, we should tone down the PDA." Bil nodded like he was saying something insightful.

"Well, if you can keep your hands off me in public," Dipper trailed off. It was Bill who initiated the public displays of affection. In all seriousness, he didn't want to go without, but if Bill wanted to take the joke so far, who was he to stop him? It would be interesting to see how long the demon could keep away before pawing at him in front of the masses again.

The answer turned out to be about five seconds before Bill wrapped his arms around him. "I was kidding, let's up the PDA instead."

"I knew you couldn't hold out," Dipper leaned into him, getting comfortable.

* * *

"Wendy!" Mabel ran over to hug her while Dipper stayed back. He touched Bill's arm to get his attention.

"So, uh, I don't know if Mabel has spilled the beans already, but I used to have a crush on her when I was like, twelve. It's not a big secret, I'm pretty sure everyone knew, and it shouldn't affect how you interact with her." He was rambling a bit so he stopped to gauge Bill's reaction. The demon looked thoughtful.

"Did she return your feelings?" he asked.

"No, no, I was way too young for her," Dipper reassured. "We were just friends."

Bill shrugged, "Okay. Anyway, Mabel told me and warned me not to freak out. I just wanted to see if you'd tell me, too." He looked a bit tense around the shoulders but he wasn't lashing out, or telling Dipper to not talk to her or any crazy alpha bullshit.

"Why wouldn't I?"

"To avoid the drama?" Bill suggested. "To not have me peacock around her?"

"Okay, those are valid reasons. Not that it'd matter since Mabel didn't give me the choice." He was used to Mabel overruling him sometimes but it would have been nice of her to ask him if she could tell Bill about preteen Dipper's inclinations.

"Dipper, get in here!" Mabel called for him, gesturing with her arm. With one final look towards Bill, Dipper went over, smiling at Wendy.

"Hey, it's great to see you," he offered her a brief hug, then pointed her attention at Bill besides him. "This is Bill, Wendy, Bill." He gestured between them. "Bill is my mate." He saw Bill puff up next to him and he was pretty sure that when they shook hands, they gripped tighter than necessary. It was dumb, but it was the minimal amount of dumb he could expect.

"It's nice to meet you," Wendy greeted, cordially. She didn't know the story of Dipper's relationship troubles and had no reason to be suspicious of Bill.

"Likewise," Bill smiled but it was forced. Dipper was happy he was at least trying, even if it took something out of him.

Mabel seemed to be on top of things as she clapped her hands together, declaring that she needed help in the kitchen. "Bill, come with me! You're at least ok at it, and Wendy's staying for dinner!" She dragged him off with a thumbs up at Dipper. "You guys catch up!"

Dipper stared after them, "Anyway..." He trailed off.

"So, how's life? You just disappeared on us for a bit, there," Wendy said, not fazed by the introduction and rapid departure.

"Yeah, I had some stuff I needed to sort out." There was no point in telling her now when things were sorted. "Life's good. I'm starting school as soon as the paperwork goes through. I heard you were working at a lumber camp?"

"Yup, it's a living," Wendy confirmed.

They talked about whatever, Dipper staying away from the topic of William as much as he could without raising suspicion. Wendy told him about her day to day life, the people she had met and worked with. It sounded like her coworkers were interesting characters, and a part of Dipper was envious of the freedom she was afforded. She could just decide for herself what she wanted to do and where she wanted to go, no one asking about what her mate thought.

Out of nowhere, Bill scooped him up and heaved him over his shoulder. "Woah, hey!" Dipper protested but Bill was carrying him off, into the Shack. He caught Wendy's confused face and shrugged at her before the door separated them. "Bill, what are you doing?" They were going up the stairs two steps at a time. He couldn't see Bill's face from his angle.

The demon threw open the door to the attic room they were staying in, closing it after them with about the same strength. Dipper yelped as he was deposited on the bed but he didn't have long to gather his bearings before Bill was on him, face buried in his neck. He could feel teeth and tongue, hear possessive little growls. It dawned on him what this was about; Bill, despite putting on airs of being ok with him hanging out with Wendy, wanted to reassert his claim.

Bill was trying to take off his clothes, fumbling in his need for skin on skin touch. He seemed lost, instinct dictated his actions.

"Hey," Dipper tried, soothing. "You're alright, there's no rush, okay? Here," he opened the button of his jeans so all Bill had to do was pull them off him. He wasn't sure if going along with it was the smartest solution but his body was getting on board, answering his mate's desires.

Bill gave his neck a final nip before rearing up, taking a hold on Dipper's hips and flipping him over. Dipper marvelled at the ease Bill manipulated his body, both the state of arousal and position. He might be developing a thing for being manhandled. Without further warning, Bill parted his cheeks and dove in, lapping at the slick there. Dipper gasped, first in surprise at the treatment, then in pleasure as Bill laved over his sensitive areas, pushing his tongue in. No one had ever done this for him, though he had heard of it. Grasping the sheets, he pushed his hips back as much as Bill's hold on his allowed, moaning into the pillow. His hole was growing looser and slicker, and he was getting more desperate. He wanted Bill inside.

For a while, his pleas were ignored on favor of tasting him deeper. Bill was enjoying himself, adding a finger. It was the final straw and Dipper came on the sheets, hole fluttering around Bill's tongue. Dipper was still panting, recovering from the orgasm, when Bill entered him with a firm thrust. Sensitive and overwhelmed by all the sensations he was being put through, Dipper was more loud and vocal about his pleasure than he had been before. Calling out to Bill felt natural, pleading with him, asking for more.

Bill bent over to get at his mate mark, nuzzling it. One of the demon's hands went to it, caressing the scar. It felt warm, unnaturally so. "Mine," Bill growled, thrusting harder, driving Dipper into the mattress. He was starting to tie, the knot stretching the omega with every move. Dipper's eyes rolled back, drool wetting the pillow under his face as his body shook through its second release. He might have been screaming, he wasn't sure anymore. White conquered his vision, and he passed out.

When he came to, Bill was there, petting him, soothing down his back. The lack of fluids on him meant that Bill had cleaned him while he was out. He spent a moment enjoying the feeling of Bill's hands on him before cracking an eye open, seeing Bill observing him.

The demon noticed that he was awake. "Hey there, dearest. You were out for a bit."

Dipper turned, wincing at his sore behind. Bill had done a number on him. He wasn't complaining, sitting would be a chore for a while but on the other hand, he had just gotten gloriously laid. He hadn't thought he would be into getting taken like that, but the way he had reacted was evidence enough. It was a good thing that Bill was there and affectionate, he didn't know how he would have handled waking up alone after something so intense.

He leaned into a kiss that soon turned more involved, Bill's hand traveling down his spine. Dipper pulled away, "I can't."

"Sore?" the demon questioned, hand stilling.

"Yeah," Dipper admitted. "You were really, uh." He didn't know what word to use.

"Sorry." Bill didn't look sorry, but his hand started rubbing at Dipper's lower back, warm and firm, so Dipper forgave him. "I should've gone easier on you."

"It's fine, I just can't go again right now." If it wasn't for the threat of being bedridden after, he would have jumped at the chance of getting a repeat. He didn't think of himself as someone with a high libido but Bill brought out a side of him he hadn't known existed.

Bill smirked, "Judging from the sounds you made, it was more than fine." He leaned closer, noses brushing, the faint glow of his eyes holding Dipper's. "Now the whole Shack knows just how good I can make you feel."

Dipper felt like his whole body was blushing and he buried his face on his hands. "Oh god." He didn't need his childhood friends and his sister to get such an intimate glimpse into his sex life. It wasn't a secret that he had sex with his mate, most people would assume that was the case, but he didn't need for them to have evidence of it. The only solution was to burrow into the bedding and never show his face again.

"Dipper! Bill! Dinner!" Mabel shouted from downstairs.

Bill sat up, rolled over Dipper to get to their clothes, and threw some at Dipper. "Time to get up, you need to refuel!"

"Do I have to?"

"Yes! You have nothing to be embarrassed about, they wish they could be as well fucked," Bill tried to reassure him but when it made Dipper bury himself deeper, Bill picked him up with the sheet. "Get dressed or I'm carrying you down like this."

He would die of shame. "Alright, alright! Put me down."

Bill helped him into his clothes and dragged him downstairs. 


	18. Grunkles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The grunkles make an appearance! Beta'd by Oilux.

When Dipper was getting ready for bed that night, coming out of the shower, he noticed something different. He stared at the mirror, blinking to make sure he wasn't seeing things. On his shoulder where his mate mark had used to be, was a black triangle with a spot of skin for an eye. He rubbed at it but nothing happened. It looked like it was tattooed on, the old scar just a faint white outline.

He remembered the way Bill had paid attention to the spot, the warmth he had felt. It was Bill's mark. He wasn't sure how he knew but he did, without a doubt. The knowledge made him feel flustered. It was weird; he had been mated to Bill in his mind for a while now, it shouldn't make a difference that he was marked for it. The mark was a lot more pleasant to look at than his old one, and it meant that his last connection to William was gone. He still had some issues to work out but the biggest physical reminder wasn't there any more. It was a huge relief.

He went back to the bedroom where Bill was leafing through one of his mystery novels. The demon looked up from it, eyeing him, and he knew that Bill knew that he had noticed the mark. He snuggled in between Bill and the book, hogging the demon's attention all for himself.

"So you're not like, mad or anything?" Bill asked, in a rare show of insecurity.

"No. I mean, you could've asked." He buried his face in Bill's chest, sighing when the demon's arms wrapped around him.

"I was a bit too wrapped up in making you mine for that," Bill admitted.

"I think I've been yours for a while now," Dipper confessed, quiet. He knew Bill could hear him from the close proximity. It wasn't something he could deny anymore, Bill had him for better or for worse. The silence that followed should have been awkward and make him question his words, but it wasn't, it didn't. He was comfortable.

They stayed like that for a while. Bill ran a hand up and down Dipper's back, deep in thought. He looked serious when Dipper glanced up at him, a frown on his face.

"What are you thinking?" Dipper asked, reaching out to sooth the wrinkle between Bill's eyes. "You're going to give yourself wrinkles."

Bill smirked. "And you won't love me anymore when I'm not beautiful."

"I'm only with you for your looks, duh." Dipper poked him on the forehead. He didn't want to think too hard about the rest of Bill's sentence. Love was heavy, he couldn't talk about it when Bill was joking. "But seriously, what's up?"

"I was just thinking," Bill said, vague as ever.

"About what?"

He shrugged. "The future, I guess."

Dipper sighed, frustrated. It didn't look like he was going to get a straight answer from Bill tonight. "You know, I've been thinking about the future, too."

"Yeah?"

"Hm, mostly about if you're going to be in it." Maybe it wasn't a topic he should be bringing up when he was irritated, but he had the courage for it for once and he didn't want to miss the opportunity. He would rather know for sure that Bill was going to leave than be unsure.

"If you're in a hurry to be rid of me," Bill trailed off.

"No, that's just it, I'm not," Dipper rose up, supported by his arms so he could look down at Bill. "I'm going to go back once the summer is over and I want you to come with me."

"I-" Bill licked his lips, wide-eyed. "I don't know if that's going to be possible."

Dipper deflated. "So it's going to be goodbye?"

"It's, hm, it all depends on how things play out," Bill explained, back to his cryptic ways. "I'm not saying we're going to be separated, just that a lot of stuff is going to be different."

"Am I supposed to somehow deduce what that means?" Dipper wanted to yell but he managed to keep his voice down so he wouldn't wake anyone up. They would rush over and he wouldn't be able to have this conversation with Bill.

"I want to be with you," Bill reached up to cup Dipper's cheek. Dipper leaned into it, despite himself. "But the circumstances of that might not be what you imagined."

"I don't understand," Dipper said, turning his face to nuzzled Bill's palm. The conversation had gone to the rocks, but it did sound like Bill wasn't planning to leave him, so at least he had that.

"You will."

* * *

There was some rummaging downstairs the next morning. Dipper blinked sleep away, wrapped up in Bill like usual. He recognized the voices after waking up enough and pushed Bill's limbs aside to get off the bed. Bill woke up at that, grasping at air before he realized that Dipper wasn't there anymore. He sat up, looking blearily at Dipper digging out clothes.

"What's the hurry?" he asked, rubbing at his face.

"My grunkles are here," Dipper said, excited and almost dressed. "I'm going downstairs, come down once you're awake and dressed and stuff." He kissed Bill on the cheek and ran down the stairs. The voices were coming from the kitchen, two gruff and one Soos, talking about something Mystery Shack related. He saw Mabel there, too, once he made it through the doorway.

"Grunkle Stan! Grunkle Ford!" he yelled, hugging both of them before either had time to protest.

"It's good to see you, too, my boy," Ford said, looking Dipper over.

"Yeah, sure," Stan agreed. "Mabel tells me you're still with that jerk, what's up with that?"

Dipper wasn't prepared for the subject to turn to Bill so soon, and he hesitated. Grunkle Stan was an experienced liar and a con man, he would know if Dipper lied to him. "Yeah, um, we worked it out," he said, hoping that a partial truth would save him.

Stan narrowed his eyes at him. "Right." It didn't look like he was buying it, his suspicion growing when Dipper failed to keep eye contact. "You'd tell us if something was wrong, right?"

"Yes, absolutely," Dipper hurried to reassure, nodding.

"I spent a few hours with Bill, he seems like a different person," Mabel put in. "Remember when he was all formal and polite and stuff? Well, he's the opposite now."

"Bill?" Ford asked.

"He goes by that now," Dipper explained. It wasn't going as well as he had hoped but it wasn't a disaster, either. "I promise you he's changed."

Mabel nodded. "It seems like that to me, and I'm pretty good at noticing this stuff." With Mabel backing him up, the grunkles were put more at ease about the situation. The conversation turned more towards what they had been up to, to the things they had discovered while sailing The Stan O' War. It was strange tales of a giant octopus and drunken nights looking at the open sky.

Bill chose that moment to emerge. Both Ford and Stan turned to look at him, searching for tells. Stan lost interest first, turning to Mabel with a grunt, but Ford kept his eyes on Bill. The demon saluted him, going for the coffee machine to get a mug. Dipper watched the exchange; he was sure Ford knew something about Bill.

"Can you get me a refill?" Dipper asked, handing Bill his mug.

"Sure thing, Pine Tree!"

Ford raised an eyebrow, suspicion growing. Bill gave Dipper back the mug, now full, and pecked him on the lips. Dipper almost missed the wink he sent at Ford, distracted by the contact. Mabel said something to Bill and the demon turned his attention on her.

Ford pulled him aside after breakfast while Stan distracted Bill with tales from his days as a conman. Dipper was glad that they were bonding but less glad that he was being isolated like this.

"Dipper my boy, tell me, have you noticed anything strange about Bill lately?" Ford asked. Dipper's suspicions about Ford and Bill knowing each other were confirmed then. He wanted to tell his grunkle the truth, ask about Bill and what he might be up to, but the deal kept him from doing that.

"Well, he's less of a dick to me," Dipper said. "I mean, he's annoying but he's actually taking care of me."

Ford's eyebrows shot up. "He takes care of you?"

"Yeah, he can be pretty considerate when he wants to be, and I've been trying to return the favor, after all that's how it's supposed to go, when you're mated." He realized that he was defending Bill from the person who could help him figure out what was going on with the demon. It wasn't something he needed to think about, he just did it.

"I hardly think that your mate bond with William is..." Ford trailed off, frowning. He didn't look pleased with the way the conversation was going.

"No, I mean, I'm mated, to Bill," Dipper articulated carefully to get his exact meaning across. Ford's eyes went wide as he realized what Dipper meant. He took a step forward, yanking Dipper's shirt collar aside to see the mark.

He let go as soon as he saw it. "No," he breathed. Then, he took hold of Dipper's shoulders, shaking him. "Did he make you do this? What does he have on you for you to-?"

Dipper didn't let him finish. "He didn't force me. I wanted it. I--" he couldn't say it. "--I really care about him."

Ford looked at him in disbelief but before he could say anything, Dipper was pulled back against a chest. He relaxed on instinct before he could process that it was Bill. The demon nuzzled the side of his head, slipping a hand inside his shirt to touch his stomach, never taking his eyes off Ford. Dipper knew that it was a dumb alpha power play, but Ford was a beta so it was unlikely to escalate into anything dangerous.

"It seems that you're causing my mate distress," Bill said. "So I'll be stealing him away now."

"Wait, I want to talk to you," Ford said without giving them a chance to leave. "In private."

"Whatever, I'm taking Pine Tree upstairs first." And he did, sitting Dipper on the bed with a kiss on the forehead. As much as Dipper liked the affection, he was still worried.

"You're not going to like, actually fight him or anything, are you?" he asked.

"Not unless he starts it," Bill said with a grin. "You stay here and relax, I'll be right back."

Dipper waited a moment after Bill was gone to follow him. He was careful to avoid the stairs that creaked as to not alert anyone that he was snooping. Bill and Ford were in Ford's old bedroom, with the door closed. Dipper pressed his ear on the door.

"...to the chase. I know who you are," Ford said.

"You should, I've been mated to your nephew for a while now," Bill answered. Dipper could imagine him smirking in that obnoxious way of his.

"I meant, I know you're Bill Cipher, possessing that body," Ford corrected, sounding annoyed. "I don't know what trickery you used to get it, but I," he didn't get to finish.

"It was an honest business exchange."

"There's no honest business exchanges with you."

"Would it put you more at ease to know that Dipper approached me first? That he knows what's going on, that he wanted this?" Bill asked, and Dipper knew the answer was no. "He's been on board every step of the way, in every development of our relationship." The way Bill said 'relationship' sounded suggestive even through the door. "He kissed me first, he seduced me first."

There was a beat of silence. "And were those in the contract?"

"No. It was me getting rid of his mate in exchange for getting to keep the body. The rest of it is just extra."

"Look, I don't know what you're up to--" he was interrupted again.

"Who says I'm up to anything? Maybe I'm just enjoying the countryside and your nephew."

Dipper didn't like how Bill made it sound so sleazy. He didn't know what kind of history Ford and Bill had, but the demon was playing up the jerk-factor to rile Ford up. It sounded to be working.

"It looks like Dipper wants you around for now, but if you hurt him, I will find a way to banish you," Ford said and started marching to the door. Dipper had just enough time to hide before he barged through. Bill followed a couple moments later, stopping at the doorway.

"I know you're there, darling," the demon said.

Dipper cursed under his breath but had no choice but to come out of hiding, shame faced. "Hi."

"Hello, little eavesdropper. Did you learn what you wanted?" Bill asked. He didn't seem angry, more amused.

"Not really," Dipper admitted. He hadn't learned anything about Bill he didn't already know.

"I thought not."


	19. Snack

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plot makes an appearance. Not beta'd.

The tension in the Shack was growing. Ford kept up his hostile attitude towards Bill, and Bill kept antagonizing him. One day, when the demon was poking fun at Ford's latest project and making lewd allusions to what he and Dipper did behind closed doors, Dipper decided that they needed some time away from the Shack. With Mabel's help, he packed a picnic basket and dragged Bill with him to the woods.

"Where are we going?" Bill asked, following along obediently.

"Somewhere where you can't give my great uncle detailed accounts of my sex life," Dipper shot back, glaring. He didn't know what was going on between Bill and Ford but he didn't appreciate being dragged into it.

"Those weren't detailed," Bill argued. "I just wanted to let him know that he can be as mad at me as wants, I'm still doing his nephew."

"You won't be for long if you keep that up," Dipper said. The forest was calming him down as they went farther into it. He didn't want to make Bill sleep on the couch; he would get lonely in the bed, but he would if he had to. "What's with that, anyway? Why does he hate you so much?"

Bill gave a distracted wave, dismissing the whole thing. "It was a deal gone sour. I might have screwed him over a little."

"How, exactly?"

"The details don't matter. The point is that he's still holding a grudge while I've moved on like a mature adult," Bill held a hand on his chest, self-congratulating.

Dipper rolled his eyes. "Of course you don't have hard feelings about lying to him, that's not how feelings work. Do you think apologizing would do anything?"

"He wouldn't believe that I'm being sincere," Bill said. "And I wouldn't be because I'm not sorry."

Bill being an unrepentant asshole did complicate things. Not that Ford was the type to forgive easily, and the fact that he wasn't forthcoming about what happened with Bill meant that he hadn’t gotten screwed over just a little.

"Dipper," Bill pulled them to a stop by grabbing Dipper's hand. Dipper turned to him, surprised by his serious tone. "You're probably going to be angry with me at some point during this venture, and I just wanted to let you know in advance that it's not meant to hurt you."

Dipper studied the demon who refused to meet his eyes. "But you think it will?"

"Not physically. Your moral compass might suffer a hit, though," Bill admitted, fidgeting in place, looking at the trees around them like they were the most interesting thing. "I wouldn't hurt you." His voice was quiet and the only reason Dipper even heard the last part was that he was standing so close. Bill looked at him at last, raising a hand to fiddle with his shirt collar where the mark was. Dipper's skin felt tingly, and he could feel swell of affection. He wasn't sure who it belonged to or if it was both of them, the line was blurring.

"Have you considered that you could just, not go through with your plan?" Dipper asked, careful not to break the connection even as he stepped farther into Bill's space. "I mean, things have changed since you first conceived it, maybe it's for the better."

"It's not that simple," Bill said while running his knuckles down Dipper's cheek. He was being so careful, like Dipper was something precious, and no one had ever touched him like that. It made him go weak, and warm, and malleable. "I've never felt this way towards anyone."

Dipper shivered with it, the feeling of belonging. Closing his eyes, he leaned his forehead against Bill's. "I haven't, either," he whispered. Of course, his stomach took that moment to voice its opinion on the lack of food.

"Hungry?" Bill asked.

Dipper wrapped his arms around Bill's neck, pressing his hips against the alpha's thigh. "Yeah."

Bill looked like he was having a mental debate. He wanted to take Dipper up on it, but he also felt the need to make sure his omega ate. In the end, food won, and he eased Dipper off him. "Let's eat first, you'll need the energy."

Dipper let go, whining only a little. At least he would be getting what he wanted in the end. It helped that the food was good and Bill fed him pieces of it. They were too distracted by each other to notice the manic giggling around them at first. When a tiny, flying creature stole a piece of a cookie from Bill's hand, they were alerted to a swarm of fairy-like beings in the air surrounding them. Dipper stared in awe, and Bill was about to say something when they bared their sharp teeth and dive bombed at the food.

Shielding his head with his arms, Dipper felt Bill over him. He couldn't see or hear anything besides the creatures for a while, the beating of their wings and screeching filling his ears. The bracelet Bill had given him felt warm on his wrist. When the swarm left, all they had was the empty basket and the blanket they were sitting on. Bill was crouched above him, but his posture relaxed when he realized that they weren't being attacked anymore. Dipper felt a bang of affection for his mate, whose first instinct had been to protect him.

Bill noticed the besotted way Dipper was looking at him and grinned. "Yeah, I'm amazing."

"Sure," Dipper just agreed. "Well, the food's gone, and I don't really feel comfortable staying here."

"Do you wanna go back?"

"Not really." They had been gone maybe half an hour at the most, and he doubted it had made much of a difference. "I guess we could get the car and drive around for a while."

"I'll drive!" Bill volunteered. It meant that they needed to stay off the main road but there was plenty of places they could go see.

They put the basket and blanket in the trunk before driving off. It was relaxing now that he knew Bill was unlikely to drive into a tree. The demon enjoyed it, too, and Dipper liked seeing him having fun.

* * *

Dipper woke up to Bill not being there. He knew they had fallen asleep next to each other like always but the absence had disturbed his slumber. At first, he reached out a hand to pat at Bill's side of the bed, not fully awake. Then, opening his eyes when he didn't feel anyone there, he sat up. He didn't hear anything from the bathroom, and something told him that Bill was farther away than that. It was just a feeling, but he followed it downstairs and through the door to the store.

Bill stood by the vending machine, and in the faint light through the window, Dipper could see him frowning. He noticed Dipper, the frown disappearing and changing into a look of surprise.

"Darling, what are you doing up?" Bill asked, coming over to where Dipper stood near the door.

"What are  _ you _ doing up?" Dipper shot back, narrowing his eyes. It was a relief that he had found Bill so easily, and being in his presence was soothing, but it was odd to just wander off in the middle of the night.

"I wanted a snack but the machine isn't on," Bill explained, gesturing at said machine.

Dipper raised a brow. "Why didn't you get one from the kitchen?" He knew that Mabel made sure that they were well stocked on the snack front.

"Oh, right. I guess I was too tired to think that far." Bill looked embarrassed for a second before herding Dipper back towards the staircase. "Anyway, it's off to bed with you."

Dipper went where he was directed. "You can still get something, the kitchen's right there."

"I will, just go ahead." Bill pushed him gently up the stairs. "I'll be right there."

While Bill was, if he was to be believed, getting a snack, Dipper settled on the bed. There was no way he could fall asleep without his mate now. He arranged the covers over himself so that Bill couldn't get to him to distract him. He was willing to admit that his flesh was weak, and Bill had deft hands and a nice mouth. Just thinking about it made him warm.

But now he was distracting himself.

Bill did come back with an opened bag of peanuts. There didn't seem to be a lot missing from the bag, maybe a couple handfuls. The demon raised an eyebrow at Dipper holding the covers to himself. "Don't worry, I'm going to let you sleep," he said, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Nuts?" He offered up the bag.

"Were you really getting a snack?" Dipper asked without making a move to take any.

"More for me, then." Bill poured some in his mouth straight from the bag, chewing loudly and ignoring Dipper's question.

"Bill?"

"I did get a snack. See?" Bill displayed the bag.

Dipper huffed, turning on his side to face the wall. "Fine," he muttered. "Good night." He closed his eyes, clutching at the covers. It didn't add up. Why wouldn't the kitchen be the first place Bill looked if he was hungry? Even sleepy, a person associated the kitchen with food more than they did a snack machine.

"Aw, darling, don't be like that," Bill besought, lying down behind Dipper, soothing a palm down his side. Dipper couldn't swat him away, being tightly packed in the covers. He had no choice but to endure Bill's warm hands on him. "Honey, are you angry that you woke up alone?" Bill kissed his head and Dipper felt himself give in a little. It was unfair. He would never let Bill know, but he liked the pet names; he liked being darling or dearest or honey. It was like Bill knew already with how he kept whispering sweet nothings to him, petting away the resistance and annoyance.

He turned around after a brief struggle with the covers. Bill's hand went to the side of his face, tracing his ear.

"There you are," the demon purred.

Dipper sighed, closing his eyes. "I just, I wish I could take your word for it, you know? That when you say you went to get a snack, I'd know you're telling the truth." Bill pressed his lips against Dipper's and Dipper let him. It was a lot easier to get swept into the physical side of their relationship than to think about what Bill was doing and the moral implications of ignoring it.

They hadn't gotten to be intimate earlier, what with getting ambushed and their food stolen. He still wanted to. The craving for being close to Bill wasn't as urgent as it had been in the spring but it had never left. He pushed into the kiss more, teeth finding Bill's lip. The demon pulled back, licked where Dipper had bit him.

"That's for lying to me," Dipper whispered against Bill's mouth.

The demon grinned. "You can't punish me with something I like, darling." He looked so smug that Dipper dove in again, going for his neck this time, and sunk his teeth in. Not hard enough to break the skin but enough to leave teeth prints. Bill threw his head back and moaned. It wasn't a reaction Dipper had been prepared for; alphas didn't let omegas bite them, they got aggressive if one tried. Biting was a sign of dominance, and maybe from the way Bill reacted when Dipper took charge in the bedroom, he could have figured out that the demon would be into it.

Also there had been that time when Bill had told him that he would be his chew toy anytime, but Dipper had thought that had been a joke.

He let go and licked the spot, nipping at a few places on his way back to Bill's mouth. "You're a freak," he commented. To anyone else it would have been an insult but Bill took it as a compliment.

"You know it."


	20. Setup

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting so close to the end! This chapter contains smut (it's after Dipper gets back to the Shack). Not beta'd.

Stan told the rest of the group that he and Ford would be staying at the boat from then on. Bill smiled next to Dipper but at least he didn't say anything rude. All of them, except the demon, offered to go with them and help them resettle. Soos closed the shop for the time being and they left for the shore. Dipper was leery about leaving Bill by himself but it was probably for the better. That way, he couldn't antagonize anyone.

Ford fell into step with him, smiling a bit when Dipper looked up. "So, you're really going to school, then." It wasn't a question but Dipper decided to treat it as one.

"Yeah, we filled the forms before we left. I'm really excited." And worried about how he would fit in a mostly alpha campus.

"And did you," Ford paused, "promise anything in return?"

Dipper knew what this was about. If Ford knew Bill, he also knew about the deals. "It wasn't anything big, I promised to keep a secret." He didn't know if it would be ok to tell Ford, seeing how his grunkle already knew about Bill, so he played it safe.

"Ah," Ford said, frowning. They walked in silence for a while. Dipper listened to Mabel telling Stan about her online store and Stan lamenting the fact he didn't know enough about the internet to help her cut corners.

"Actually, Dipper," Ford started again once they were almost at their destination. "I hope you won't need it but I think you should have it just in case." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a key. Dipper looked at him quizzically but took it. "It's a precaution." Ford looked over at the rest of the group. "You'll know what it's for."

"Hey, stop lagging behind and help me with this," Stan called to Ford, gesturing at the Stan O' War. Ford left, leaving Dipper with the key and some questions. He put it in his pocket, hurrying to join the others. He would figure out what it was for once he got back to the Shack, right now he wanted to spend time with his family.

* * *

When Dipper made it back that evening, he found Bill in the living room, an old movie playing on the TV. He didn't question how he just knew where Bill was, he had been more in tune with the demon lately. Something inside of him tugged him towards his mate and all he needed to do was follow.

Bill opened his arms once he spotted Dipper and it wasn't a hard decision to snuggle up to him. "You were gone longer than I expected," he said, burying his fingers in Dipper's hair.

"There was a lot of stuff to do on the boat," Dipper explained. Mabel and Soos had stayed the night but he had wanted to come back. He could feel the excited energy coming off Bill, it made relaxing difficult. Supporting his chin on Bill's chest, he looked at the demon, trying to gauge the reason. "What have you been up to?" he asked, not expecting a straight answer.

Bill smirked. "Oh, nothing much." He slid his hand into Dipper's shirt, at the small of his back. It was distracting and warm and nice, and he had been away from the alpha all day. "This and that. Ya know, just keeping busy so I wouldn't miss you so much." The demon was laying it on thick but Dipper felt better about being clingy when Bill at least pretended to be, too.

"I'm so used to having you around that it was weird when you weren't there today," Dipper confessed, a bit embarrassed about it. He had had a great time but it had felt like something was missing.

"Aw, poor baby. Were you going into withdrawal?" Bill teased, grinning down at him. "Don't worry, you can get all the me you can handle now."

"I think I'm already there." Dipper got up to go upstairs. He could read a little and turn in early, ignore his ridiculous mate. Bill caught him by the waist before he made it far.

"Wait, wait. You going up there alone would make the candles a bit excessive," Bill said against his shoulder, rocking them a little.

"Candles?" Dipper asked.

"Hmm, I was going to take you upstairs at some point and seduce you," Bill admitted.

Dipper could feel himself getting flustered. He didn't think he was the type to get anything out of a cliche romantic setting but there were exceptions to the rule, apparently. "What's the occasion?" he managed, leaning more into the embrace.

"Does there have to be one?" Bill asked, speaking into his ear. "Maybe I just wanted to do something special for you."

"Oh," Dipper sighed, closing his eyes. "I guess I can accept that." Bill was leading them towards the stairs in a slow, swaying dance, and Dipper didn't have any inclination of fighting it.

"I take it you're interested?" Bill bent to kiss his neck. The gesture was almost chaste but there was heat behind it.

"Yeah," Dipper offered him more room to explore. It distracted them from climbing the stairs for a moment.

"Where's Shooting Star and your friend?" Bill asked, noticing the quiet. They had gone uninterrupted for far longer than they would have if there were other people around.

"They're at the boat," Dipper said, starting to lead them up the stairs again, pulling Bill along. "Won't be back until sometime tomorrow."

"That's good." Bill found his mark, pushing Dipper's shirt to the side, and nipped it with his teeth. Dipper shivered, feeling his body respond to the stimulus. "We won't have to worry about the noise," Bill spoke against his skin.

"Then come on." Dipper was getting tired of their slow progression, he wanted to be in the bedroom yesterday.

Bill snickered. "Patience, we have all night."

Dipper buried his fingers in Bill's hair so he could bend the demon down enough for him to reach his ear. "Maybe I want you to fill me already." He tugged at Bill's earlobe with his teeth. Bill growled, his hips connecting with Dipper's behind. Dipper pushed back, but the movement was detrimental to their journey towards the bedroom.

"You're kinda ruining my plans, here," Bill said, breath heavy against Dipper's shoulder.

Dipper could feel his higher faculties get shut down by the slow grind. "Yeah?"

"I was going to take it real slow and gentle tonight, like a proper master of romance. Didn't factor in that you'd be so desperate for it." Bill's fingers sneaked over to undo Dipper's pants.

"You're the one whose stripping me before we've even reached the bedroom," Dipper pointed out, not that he minded. He wanted Bill to want him.

Bill hummed in agreement. "I have a half a mind to take you on these stairs, but I worked hard for the whole candle setup, can't have you not see it." With what must have been an immense triumph of mind over body, Bill bent down to lift Dipper up bridal style and run up the rest of the stairs. He kicked open the door, and as if on cue, the candles set around the room lit up. The bed had been moved from its place by the wall to the center of the room, the light dancing over it.

Dipper looked on in awe. The candles were close enough to the bed to provide soft lighting but far enough to not be a fire hazard. Clearly some thought had gone into it. And it did look romantic, the firelight making the room look like something out of a different place and time. A purr started somewhere in his chest and he leaned up to nuzzle Bill's jaw.

"I didn't know you were such a huge fan of candles," Bill commented, puffing up in pride at getting such a strong, pleased reaction.

"It's not the candles, it's the thoughtful gesture," Dipper corrected. He pulled back enough to make eye contact. "Take me to bed." Bill didn't need to be told twice. He crossed the remaining distance with a couple of strides, setting Dipper down once there. Once on his back, Dipper kicked off his pants and shoes before Bill caged him in with his arms. He didn't feel trapped, looking up at the demon, but secure. He wrapped his arms around Bill to pull him down for a kiss. It was slow while they re-familiarized with each other, like they had been separated for long. A day had felt like a prolonged absence.

Bill's hand gravitated to Dipper's naked thigh, lifting it so Dipper would wrap the leg around him. Dipper felt Bill's clothes brush up against his skin, and while that was nice, skin on skin would be even better. Before he had time to voice his want, Bill ground down on him, making him moan and throw his head back. The movement exposed his throat to the alpha eager to get his lips and teeth on it. Trapped between Bill's mouth and hips, all Dipper could do was cling on and voice his pleasure. A wayward hand made its way into his underwear, pressing fingers on his wet hole. His hips jerked and he could feel Bill grinning against his neck.

"Feeling good there, darling?" Bill asked, voice as smug as ever.

"Yes!" The fingers applied pressure but not enough to breach him. He tried to press back but he didn't have enough leverage to make a difference. The grind of Bill's hips combined with the tease of being penetrated was driving him towards the edge. "I-I'm close."

"Good," Bill breathed, mouth finding the mark at the juncture of his neck and shoulder. He sucked on it while his finger finally sunk into Dipper who arched his back in surrender and released.

Coming down, he petted Bill's head, smiling. He nudged the demon with his knee. "Come on, you big lump, get undressed." He had substantial evidence that Bill hadn't gotten off poking him, and he was starting to feel gross in his underwear, but couldn't do anything about either as long as Bill stayed on top of him.

Bill rose so he was supported by his arms, looking down at Dipper. "Wanna get to my hot bod?"

"Yes," Dipper deadpanned, "Reveal it to me now."

"I love it when you get bossy." Bill got up, releasing Dipper to kick off his underwear and to throw away his shirt. The demon followed him with his own shirt and Dipper crawled up to him, nosing up his neck. Bill gave him more room with an air of anticipation, shivering when Dipper dragged his teeth along the skin. After a moment of teasing the demon with just a hint of teeth, Dipper bit down, causing Bill to cry out and his hands falter where he was opening his pants. It was a rush to have his alpha submit to him like this. He lapped at the teeth marks, feeling Bill breathing heavy.

"That really cranks my crane," Bill said, and Dipper just pressed his forehead to the demon's shoulder and laughed helplessly.

"And your crane was pretty cranked to begin with." He got himself under control, pulling back. Bill looked lovely in the candle light and Dipper felt a swell of affection towards him. He wasn't ready to say anything out loud about it but it must have showed on his face because Bill brushed some of his bangs away and leaned in to kiss him. While kissing, Dipper slid his hands down to Bill's zipper, undoing it.

Bill pushed him back, shimmying out of his pants before laying down between Dipper thighs to give them some attention. Dipper leaned back, spreading his legs to let Bill do as he pleased. He wasn't as a big fan of being bit as Bill was but he did like the tiny bruises Bill's careful work left behind. Bill's fingers traveled towards his hole again, finding it wet, Dipper's body responding to the attention. Slowly, he slipped a couple fingers in, spreading them when Dipper moaned.

The demon took hold of one of Dipper's thighs to guide it back while the other leg wrapped around his hip. With a nod from Dipper, he slid in with a groan, closing his eyes for a moment. Dipper rocked against him, impatient.

"Hang on," Bill said, voice strained. "Just, give me a minute." He took a few deep breaths, opening his eyes to meet Dipper's. They held eye contact as Bill started to move, slowly at first, gaining speed. Dipper grasped the sheets, needing to anchor himself somehow during the mounting pleasure. It was almost too much, to keep looking into Bill's eyes, like they were leaving themselves too open, but it felt significant enough to maintain.

After a while, Bill started losing rhythm, growling with every thrust. Dipper could feel the knot forming and tried to push back against it. Letting go of Dipper's thigh, Bill grabbed his hips to pull him into it. Dipper couldn't help but close his eyes as his orgasm hit him. He compensated by pulling Bill to him, the alpha still rocking with limited movement as though trying to get his seed deeper.

They relaxed into each other, Dipper purring and Bill nosing the mark.


	21. Confrontation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaah, the penultimate chapter! I really hope this doesn't horribly disappoint anyone. Not beta'd.

The sheets that Bill had slept on were cold when Dipper woke up. He rubbed his eyes, trying to find his mate by feel but came up empty. It bothered him but he was too languid to dwell on it.The night before had been great, leaving him sated and affectionate. If only Bill was here so he could lavish some of that on him. The place where Bill had been smelled like him, and Dipper breathed in, burying his face on the pillow and settling his body to align with Bill's imagined form.

The rest of the Shack was quiet. The others weren't back yet, which meant that it was just Bill and him. Where was the demon? Dipper tried to listen. There were no sounds of the shower running in the bathroom and downstairs was equally devoid of footsteps or food preparation noises. He lied there for a little longer, relaxing and mentally mapping out the places Bill had marked him. It made the more primitive parts of him satisfied, to have been claimed so thoroughly.

After a few more moments of resting, he sat up, scratching his head. Their clothes were on the floor, and the first article he spotted was Bill's shirt, so he put it on, and fished out his pants. It wouldn't matter if it was just the two of them, and he kind of wanted a repeat, but he didn't want to be walked in on by his sister and Soos in case they got back early. He could feel the strain last night had put on his body but it wasn't anything severe, and he enjoyed the reminder.

Once downstairs, he checked the kitchen first, hoping that he had been wrong and Bill would be there making breakfast. It was empty, with no signs of anyone having used it recently. The next stop was Ford's old room, but there was no one there, either. Dust mites floated in the sun beans shining through the stained glass windows. It looked nice, and if he wasn't getting worried, he would have stayed a little longer.

Could Bill have gone outside? He remembered finding Bill without any trouble a couple times earlier in their stay. He took a deep breath and let his feet take them where they may. He walked along the hallway, and into the gift shop. He didn't notice anything amiss at first, everything looked to be in place, the bobble heads and snow globes on their shelves. He took a couple steps inside, calling out to Bill but getting no response. Things were starting to feel off.

Then, he saw it. The vending machine was detached from the wall on one side. Upon closer inspection, he saw something behind it, and pulling the machine farther revealed an elevator. He hesitated. He was pretty sure Bill was down there, and that this had something to do with what the demon was after, but did he want to know? Feigning ignorance could have its consequences, nevertheless, going back to bed and pretending to sleep had its appeal. What would he wake up to?

There was a third option: he could go get Ford. The older man had dealt with Bill before, he would know what was down there and how to take care of it. Bringing Ford would most likely mean that things would get hostile. He and Bill didn't like each other, it would be a fight. If Dipper went down there alone, he could talk to Bill and maybe defuse the situation before it became dangerous. Provided that Bill hadn't faked caring about him. But no, he remembered the way the demon had looked at him, and touched him, all that couldn't be fake. No one was that good of an actor.

He entered the elevator and pressed the button down. The ride was rickety, the box shook and clanked, alerting Bill that he was coming. By the time he got all the way down, Bill was standing there, facing him. Behind him was a pane of glass and beyond that, a large, circular, metal contraption that groaned and cracked, as though getting ready to turn on.

"Dearest, I was hoping you'd stay asleep for a while longer," Bill said, eyes glowing in the faint light coming from the monitor behind him.

Dipper took a step closer. "What is that?"

"That, is an inter dimensional portal I helped your grunkle build," Bill explained, gesturing at it. He guided Dipper closer to the window with an arm around his waist. "Sixer scrapped it once he found out my plans for it."

Dipper remembered how Stan had been vague about the circumstances surrounding him getting Ford to leave the secluded scientist life and travel with him. They had left in a hurry, and Ford didn't talk about it, either. This must have been what he left behind. "And what are those plans?" Dipper asked.

"To invite all my friends over to party!" Bill grinned. "We'll show this dimension a good time and rework it a little."

Dipper looked down at the console in thought. There was a keyhole close to where he was standing, and he remembered the key Ford had given him. It was still in his pocket. What Bill was saying seemed benign at first listen but he was familiar with the way the demon avoided right out saying certain things and downplayed others. "You're talking about world domination," he said, glancing at Bill.

The demon turned them so he was pressing Dipper's back against the console, hands on either side of him. Bill leaned close, making eye contact as he confessed, "And I want you there with me. There's room on the throne, and I've seen it in you, the longing to have power over things. With me, you could have that power."

Dipper swallowed. Bill was so close, it affected him like always. "What do you mean?"

"I'm asking you to co-rule with me," Bill explained, eyes flashing with some manic, inner light. "Think about it, all the crap you have to put up with could just go away with a snap of your fingers. Reverse the order if you want!"

It would be nice to not have to consider his place in the social hierarchy in everything he did. There was a part of him that wanted the kind of control Bill was offering, to free himself and others, maybe get back at the creeps who thought they could just approach him, or touch him, as they pleased. In this scenario, he wouldn't have to worry about anything, his future would be set and he could be whatever he wanted. And he wouldn't need to think about Bill leaving. The demon was offering it to him, when he could have just subjugated him with the rest, it sounded like a long term thing. Bill wanted him, and it made his insides warm, the instincts he tried to keep in check told him that he should say yes because his place was by his mate's side.

Bill must have seen the emotions, the temptation, on his face. The demon grinned, bringing a hand up to caress Dipper's cheek. "Please say yes, I want you beside me."

He wanted to. Dipper closed his eyes for a moment, just enjoying the attention. This was a once in a lifetime offer. But he needed to think about what it would mean for the rest of humanity.

"I can't," Dipper said, opening his eyes. "I can't with good conscience say yes to that."

"Then do it with bad conscience," Bill suggested with a shrug, like the whole thing wasn't a big deal. "If you're concerned about what'll happen to your family and friends, I can guarantee their safety. They could be very comfortable in our new world."

"It's not just that." Dipper leaned his face a little closer to Bill's, running one of his hands up his chest while the other inserted the key to the lock on the front of the console. He knew Bill was good and distracted from the way his pupils dilated and his eyes flicked to Dipper's mouth every so often. "But let me make you a counter offer," Dipper said, wetting his lips. "Turn the portal off, forget about your scheme, and live the rest of your body's life span with me."

Bill looked torn. "Are you saying that if I go through with this, you'll leave me?" he asked, voice quiet and serious. He didn't need to speak any louder since he and Dipper were close enough to breathe the same air.

"I don't know if I can watch you go through with it and still feel the same way about you I do now," Dipper admitted. He realized, belatedly, that he was asking Bill to give up the world for him. He might mean something to the demon, but he wasn't sure if it was enough.

The demon let out a laugh. "You know, this shouldn't even be something I need to think about. The answer should be obvious, I've worked too hard for this to give it up for," Bill paused. "For-" He didn't seem to be able to finish the sentence. He looked through the glass separating them from the portal. It was getting louder, some of the smaller objects around them were starting to float. He looked back at Dipper, the hand on his cheek going into his hair. He pulled Dipper close, laid a kiss on his lips, and whispered, "I'm sorry."

Dipper turned the key. On one of the screens, a countdown from ten started, the words "Self-destruct sequence activated" flashed above it. "I'm sorry, too," Dipper said as Bill's face morphed into one of rage. The demon still grabbed him before running to the elevator and out the Shack. The elevator ride felt like it was taking forever, like the ten count should have ended before they got back up. Bill was holding onto him, refusing to look in his direction, seething. Dipper had never seen him angry, and he wondered what that meant for him once they were out of immediate danger. He had just ruined Bill's plans, and he wasn't sure if the demon could look past that.

Once up, they ran out of the Shack, Bill's grip on him tight almost to the point of pain. Dipper didn't struggle against it, too wrapped up in getting to safety. The demon kept his hold when they turned back towards the Shack, near the treeline. They heard a loud boom and the ground beneath them shook. The Shack looked like it jumped off its foundation, the windows exploded outwards followed by smoke. It looked almost intact from the outside but Dipper wondered how much damage was done to the interior. He hoped it was fixable. It would suck if in the course of saving mankind from being taken over, he destroyed his childhood vacation spot and his friend's livelihood. Never mind that he sort of had permission from Ford.

Bill still kept his hold on Dipper as they watched things settle down. During the commotion, without noticing, Dipper had pressed himself against Bill. A part of him knew Bill as a source of safety, even though rationally the demon was a potential danger. He hoped it wouldn't come down to that; he couldn't win in a fight against Bill and all his demonic strength. He didn't want to fight Bill, not just because he would lose, but because that would be the end for them. He couldn't come back from physical violence. They could argue until the world ended, but being hit, or being forced to hit Bill, would be a sign that they shouldn't try to make it work.

The shaking had stopped. Dipper didn't have time to relax before Bill threw him to the ground. He yelled in surprise, taking most of the impact on his hands. Turning around to face the demon, he saw Bill's eyes glow and his whole body shake. Flames were starting on his hands.

"You!" Bill hissed, the flames growing higher.


	22. Repairs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is it, the final chapter. I had fun working on this fic, and I want to thank you for the lovely feedback, kudos, and bookmarks. And even if you just read this from the shadows, it's still great that you stuck with it to the end.

The flames grew closer. Dipper closed his eyes but didn't feel the burn like he expected to. The bracelet he had never taken off glowed on his wrist and the flames stopped before they reached him. For a moment, all he could see was a wall of fire, then as it died down, Bill stood in front of him. The demon looked livid but at least he wasn't producing any flames. He stepped forward and picked Dipper up by the collar of his shirt, pushing him against a tree.

Dipper grabbed his wrists, feet struggling to reach the ground. Bill didn't say anything for a while, opening and closing his mouth as though he was too angry to form words or didn't know what to say.

"You know I had to," Dipper said.

"All that effort, down the drain just because I wanted to share it with you," Bill managed at last, shaking Dipper a bit. "I could've given you everything."

"I don't want everything," Dipper countered. "Especially if it means having demons take over. You know it would have cost people their lives."

"I don't care about people, I care about you!" Bill yelled before turning his head away, looking bitter. "You've ruined me. I shouldn't even care about what you want or need, but I do and it's cost me already."

Despite everything, Dipper felt bad for Bill. What the demon had been about to do could have had catastrophic consequences but he couldn't help it. Maybe it was Bill's feelings getting broadcasted to him through the bond. "Bill," he pleaded, "put me down and we'll talk about this."

"No," Bill shook his head. "I'm thinking that I could twist the conversation enough to make you feel like you were in the wrong, but then I also thought I could possess this body without any of your messy human stuff effecting me, and when that turned out to be wrong, I thought I could fuck you without it meaning anything." He smiled, rueful and self-deprecating. "And look where that got me. I can't even take it out on you." The demon put Dipper down.

Dipper eased his hands off their grip, holding them in his. "I didn't think I'd develop feelings for you, either," he confessed. "I thought I'd just put up with you until you decided to leave and then get on with my life. But we were both wrong, and now we have to deal with that." He would also have to come to terms with how he found out about Bill's scheme and it didn't affect his feelings as much as he thought it would. Or as much as it ought to. It helped that he had known from the start that Bill was up to no good, and fallen for him anyway.

The demon wasn't quite looking at him, but he didn't try to get loose. He didn't seem angry anymore, more sulky and disappointed. Dipper was relieved that the worst of his anger had burned out so quickly, without damage done to either of them.

He heard them before he saw them emerge from the woods. Mabel and Soos came down a path, chatting. The sight of the Shack stopped them on their tracks, faces shocked. Mabel looked around until she spotted Dipper and Bill, running over while shouting, "What happened? Are you guys alright?"

"We're fine," Dipper said, glancing at Bill. Mabel must have noticed the tense air between them because she frowned, eyes jumping from him to Bill and back. "There was an incident." He wasn't sure if he wanted to go into it with Mabel right then. And how would he explain it without giving away that Bill was a demon?

"Your basement exploded," Bill stated.

"I didn't know we had a basement," Mabel said, more and more confused.

"You should ask Sixer about it," the demon replied, taking his hands back from Dipper's. Dipper rubbed his together, feeling the loss. "I'll be in the car." Bill walked off, leaving them to deal with the awkward air and with helping Soos with the Shack.

"Oookay," Mabel said, turning to Dipper. "There's definitely something you're not telling me." She crossed her arms, staring her brother down.

"Yeah," Dipper admitted, dejected. "But Bill's right, you should talk to Ford about it." He left with that. Soos was already digging out tools and assessing the damage, and he needed to help. It was his fault after all; he had brought Bill here and he had set off the explosion.

"You can fix it, right?" he asked Soos once he was close enough.

"Sure thing, dude. We need to order new windows, though, and we probably can't stay here for the night," Soos said, inspecting the porch. It looked like it needed a few new boards. "The insides need a good cleaning and I need to check the foundation for damage."

"I guess I'll get on that." Dipper grabbed a broom, stepping inside. The gift shop, and all the rooms in the lower floor, looked like dust had shot out from under the floorboards, coating the surfaces. There were some broken objects scattered on the floor, and he was careful not to step on any glass. Sweeping was mindless work, the repetition helped him not to think too hard about his situation. Bill never showed up to help but Mabel joined him after speaking on the phone with the grunkles and telling them what had happened. They worked in silence even though Mabel looked like she wanted to ask some questions, but she took one glance at Dipper and decided against it.

Ford and Stan came back to help with the repairs, and they got most of the cleaning done before nightfall. After a lot of pestering from Mabel, Ford explained that he and Bill had worked on the portal together but once he had found out what Bill wanted it for, he had shut the project down. Stan had come visit him soon after and persuaded him to come with him, to fill their childhood dream of sailing the seas. He had left the portal and decided not to speak about it to anyone. And that yes, Bill was a demon possessing Dipper's former mate.

"Wait, so you knew what he was all along?" Mabel asked, trying to digest all the new information.

"Yeah, I mean, I summoned him," Dipper replied. "I wanted to tell you but we made a deal that I wouldn't, in exchange for him helping me go to school." He looked at Ford, apologetic. "I'm sorry I basically handed him the opportunity to take over the world."

"No, I'm sorry you were put in a situation where you felt like that was your only option," Ford said, placing a hand on Dipper's shoulder. "I know we couldn't have done anything legally but we still should have tried harder."

Dipper smiled. "It's ok, I don't hold it against you." It was his choices that had gotten him into the situation, he couldn't expect his family to fix all his mistakes.

"What are you going to do now?" Mabel piped up. "You don't need to worry about William or school or Bill messing everything up. You don't actually have to stay with him if you-" Mabel fell silent when she noticed how struck by the idea of not staying with Bill made Dipper look. He knew that there was little he could do if Bill decided that he had had enough of playing human. The demon could leave at any time but he wanted all the time Bill would give him.

"Oh, brobro," Mabel sighed. "You have such awful taste in men."

Dipper let out a laugh, despite how gloomy he felt. "Yeah, I know."

Ford glanced between them, then at Stan who just shrugged. "Well, I'd rather not have Bill hang around, but I don't want to tell you to leave," Ford said. "If you need a place to stay, you're welcome at the boat."

"I think I'm gonna go to a hotel for the night," Dipper decided. Maybe he could talk to Bill and work something out. Mabel and Soos opted for the boat, though reluctant to leave Dipper alone with Bill, and they went their separate ways.

When Dipper reached the car, Bill was still there, sitting on the front passenger seat. He sat on the driver's side, unsure what to say so he just started the car and drove towards the town. Bill didn't question him. After a while, he turned to the hotel parking lot and parked. Bill was so talkative normally that the silence felt strange and oppressive, so he broke it.

"We're staying here for the night," Dipper explained. When there was no reply, he drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, nervous. "Do you want separate rooms?"

"Do  _ you _ want separate rooms?" Bill finally spoke. His voice almost startled Dipper, snapping out the question so suddenly.

"I- No." Neither of them said anything again, so Dipper got out of the car, with Bill tailing him, and went to talk to the receptionist. He got a room with a single bed before he could think better of it. Once in the room, he sat on the bed, waiting for Bill to make a move. The demon stayed by the door for a moment before sitting next to him.

"You know, I'm surprised you didn't get two beds," Bill spoke up after a while. "I kinda thought you wouldn't want my nasty demon hands on you again." He wiggled his fingers but his grin didn't reach his eyes.

"That's just it," Dipper said, sounding angry but it was mostly directed at himself. "I do want your nasty demon hands all over me, but maybe I shouldn't." What did it say about him, that he wasn't ready to leave Bill even after what the demon had planned?

"So you're not really worried about me being evil but about your own moral corruptness," Bill suggested. He leaned back on his hands, crossing his ankles. "I knew your moral compass didn't point north from the moment I met you. It takes a certain kind of person to summon a demon to solve their problems." He smiled a little, fond. "I like that about you, you're not afraid to use some seriously underhanded tactics to get what you want."

"I didn't have a choice," Dipper argued.

"Sure you did. You could've just ran away, or faked your own death, but the thing is you needed his money and influence to get an education." His smile turned into a grin. "It all worked out pretty well for you, didn't it?"

Dipper crossed his arms. "You can't suggest I planned all this."

Bill shrugged, looking at the ceiling. "With that kind of luck and ambition, you would've made a great co-ruler."

"I'm not interested in all that." Except that he had been tempted by the call of power.

"But you are, a little. I saw it," the demon argued, straightening up so he could look Dipper in the eye. "You forget that the bond goes both ways. You were so close to saying yes, and I think that you will, with a little more time for me to rub off on you." He grinned again, placing his hand on Dipper's cheek and running his thumb over his lips. "In more ways than one."

Dipper's heart beat wildly in his chest, mouth tingling where Bill had touched him. Why was he so attracted to this jerk? He swallowed, licking his lips. From the way Bill's eyes follow his tongue, he at least knew that the feeling was mutual. "You think you can corrupt me?"

"Oh yes, you'll see things my way, in the end," Bill whispered, his eyes glowing with challenge and excitement.

"So, you're going to be sticking around then?" Dipper asked. He wanted some sort of reassurance that these weren't his last moments with Bill. Otherwise he might have to tell him about the depth of his feelings, and he needed more time.

Bill's next words brushed against his mouth. "As long as you'll have me."

Their lips connected and Dipper pulled the demon down with him.

  
  


**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Mine [FanArt]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13975474) by [Thelema_Rhoias](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thelema_Rhoias/pseuds/Thelema_Rhoias)




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